Darkness Before the Dawn
by Cyron
Summary: Set after Sailor Stars and during the Androids/Cell saga. The sailor senshi are once again called to protect the world from evil. Only this time, it's not their world they will have to protect.
1. New Beginnings

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

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**Darkness Before the Dawn**

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As far as Gohan was concerned, the day had started off good enough. Light flew in through the window of his room, and the sky seemed calm. It was a light shade of blue, and there were no clouds anywhere to indicate any rain. It was bright outside, and a cool breeze passed by the open fields adorned in green. In short, it seemed like a perfect day.

Two hours later Gohan thought it was the worst day of his life. It was not as bad as the time of the saiyan invasion, when he had been called to defend the Earth from invading aliens bent on taking over the planet to then sell it to the highest bidder. Nor was it like the time that Garlic Jr. had returned from the Death Zone to destroy him and his friends.

But it came close.

He sat by his desk writing endlessly into a growing mountain of sheets and papers, large piles of books lying on either side of him, the end result of having spent the last two weeks buried headfirst into books, focusing all of his energy into his studies. In the corner of his room were previous books that he had already gone through, a collection of subjects varying through science to history and mathematics. Dropping the pencil on the desk he sat up in his seat and stretched his arms, his body snapping lightly in protest. He pushed himself against the desk and began to lean on the back legs of the chair, slowly pushing himself further and further back just to see how far he could go before he tilted over. Just for an added challenge he picked up his pencil and placed it over his nose, keeping it in place while at the same time keeping his balance on the chair.

He did not hate his studies. On the contrary, he was very fond of learning new things and was amazed at all the things he could learn from reading. But he was restless, and after such a long time of nothing but his lessons he had gained a small disdain towards them. He closed his eyes, thinking of all the things happening outside. He wanted to run in the open terrain, to just get out and play. Yet he knew better; the last time his mother had caught him outside when he was supposed to be studying she had thrown a fit. It was nothing that he wasn't used to, and it wasn't as if she had ever struck him for disobeying, but when she got mad he knew it was time to be serious and follow instructions. And that was what he had done ever since his return from Namek, his room becoming his Universe and his desk the world, where all that existed were textbooks, notebooks, pencils, and erasers.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the knock on his door, and when it began to open he jolted in surprise, which caused the chair to tumble backwards, bringing him crashing to the floor. This in turn caused the stack of books that were piled on the desk to tilt and come crashing down on top of him, leaving him trapped under their weight for a few moments. When he was finally able to break free of them it was to come under the irritated gaze of his mother.

"Gohan, are you fooling around again?" Chi-Chi let out a sigh as she made her way over to him and began to help him pick up the books.

"I'm sorry, mom." Her son replied, his gaze falling as he spoke. "I'm trying really hard to stay focused, honest! I just can't seem to concentrate lately."

His mother walked over to him, placed a finger under his chin, and raised his face so that he was looking at her eye to eye. "It's okay, Gohan", she said. "I understand exactly what's going on."

Slightly taken aback, Gohan felt a tinge of hope rise within him. "You do?"

"Of course I do. You've been spending too much time by yourself in this room. What you need is a dedicated hand to motivate you and push you harder."

The small bit of hope he had felt for a moment came crashing down at her words. For one wild moment he had thought she was going to give him some time off so he could play. He had to think of something fast. The last thing he wanted was his own mother strictly watching over his studies.

"No, mom, it's okay. Really, I just haven't been trying hard enough, that's all."

"Don't be silly Gohan." His mother replied. "I know you've been doing the best that you can. You just need some extra help to push you forward now that you're starting some harder subjects."

There was a small smile on her face that told Gohan she was keeping something from him. Whatever it was, he thought, he was sure he wouldn't like it.

"We have a house guest, Gohan." Chi-Chi said as she made her way to the threshold of his room, waving to someone who was standing in the hall and out of sight. "This is Mr. Shu. He's going to be your new tutor from now on."

The young saiyan could hardly believe what he was hearing as a short, scrawny man walked in the room. To say that he was thin was an understatement: the man was beyond slender, nothing but bones glued together by the slightest amount of skin. He had short hair that was kept up in a jumble. A long, slender finger pushed a pair of large, round spectacles up the fringe on his nose.

"But mom," Gohan complained, his voice abandoning all form of restriction. "Why?" He already had to spend day after day in front of his desk doing nothing but studying, and the last thing he needed was someone looking over him and taking away any small moment he had to relax.

His mother continued to smile, but it was more profound, and Gohan understood the message she was conveying with it. "Mr. Shu is going to help take your studies to the next level, Gohan. And I was thinking that you might want to start today."

"Can't I just study harder and forget about the tutor? Please?"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth that he knew he would regret them. Chi-Chi shook her head, and her voice took an end-of-discussion tone. "No, and that's the final word, Gohan"

She began pacing across the room, continuing to speak as though she had rehearsed a speech in preparation for the occasion. "Where did I go wrong? First my husband leaves and now my own son starts rebelling against me. I don't want you throwing your future away. All I want is what's best for you, and right now, that's to study and be prepared so that someday you can find a good job as a scholar. And for that you need to study as hard as you can."

Silence followed her words. Chi-Chi was breathing hard, having poured her heart into the thoughts she had been carrying in her mind ever since she had known she would be blessed with a baby boy of her own. Gohan remained tense but said nothing. He knew his mother loved him and only wanted what was best for him, but he also wanted to just be a kid and have fun every now and then.

The awkward silence came to an end when Mr. Shu cleared his throat. Immediately Chi-Chi felt her face flush. She had forgotten all about the man she had hired to tutor her son. "I'm sorry about that, Mr. Shu." She said as she gave the man a deep bow, her face still a deep shade of red. "Gohan, it's time you two got started." She turned and smiled at the tutor. "There you go, Mr. Shu, he's all yours."

The older man nodded. "Very well, I'll do what I can. I admit I am very strict with my students. Oftentimes _slow_ children like this just need a little discipline."

The smile on Chi-Chi's face disappeared. She gave the man a stern look. "My Gohan is not slow, Mr. Shu."

"Of course he's not." The man said. "I'm sure he is nothing short of a genius. That is why you required a tutor, is it not?"

For the second time in less than five minutes a tense silence filled the air. Any retort Gohan knew his mother could throw seemed to become lost. Taken aback, Chi-Chi remained frozen, her face blank and unreadable to Gohan.

Mr. Shu had closed his eyes and seemed to meditate on something. After a few moments he turned to Chi-Chi once again: "Now if you could please excuse us, madam. There is much work to be done."

Snapping out of her reverie, the boy's mother complied and left the room, but as she did she grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door so hard the entire house seemed to shake.

Mr. Shu shot another glare at Gohan and the boy shrunk back. "Now," Mr. Shu said. "It is time for us to begin your lessons. Please sit down."

Gohan chose not to say anything, and obediently made his way to the opposite corner of the room. Sitting on his desk, he quickly decided it was going to be a long day.

. . .

Chi-Chi walked back to the kitchen, her hands still shaking in anger. _The nerve of that man_, she thought as she scrubbed a new set of plates. _How dare he say that my Gohan is slow! Slow, of all things!_ She grasped the plate tighter around her hands until she could feel it crumbling under her grip, threatening to be split in two. Taking a deep breath, she managed to calm herself down and continue washing the dishes. She tried to let her mind wander as she continued her work, but all thoughts eventually returned to the same scrawny man wearing an overly large pair of spectacles.

The man was clearly arrogant, but she also knew that he was highly recommended as a tutor, achieving excellent results with his pupils. They called him a miracle worker in private tutoring, taking even the most challenged of children and advancing them far beyond anything they could have normally reached with any other tutor in their studies. _And that's what Gohan needs right now_, she decided, her resolve returning to her. _He needs someone to help him focus on his studies._ For the sake of her son she would have to swallow her pride and look the other way.

Not once did it occur to her to wonder just why this man was known as such a great motivational tutor. If she had, there would be no doubt that she would have had no qualms on getting rid of him. However, the man had requested that the door to the room remained closed at all times to avoid any interruptions. It would be a long time before Chi-Chi learned why the man was a great teacher of discipline.

She returned to the dishes, humming to herself as she continued to work, content with the thought that her son was well on his way to the higher education she had always dreamed of.

. . .

"I wonder why Setsuna wanted to meet us so early."

Making her way to the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi let out a yawn and stretched her arms. The sun was now barely rising over a still sleeping town. It might as well have been the middle of the night, for it was still pitch-black outside except for the light coming from every other street light. It was still far too early for anyone to even think of getting out of bed, let alone be up and running. Apparently such was not the case for sailor senshi, and once again Usagi let out a stifled yawn. Everyone knew that waking up early was not one of her specialties.

When they had first heard of the meeting from the guardian of time herself a few days earlier she was the first and loudest to complain. Time and time again she had told everyone she would never even consider making it to the shrine. Yet here she was, walking up the path that would take her to where the other girls were undoubtedly already waiting for her.

_Late again_, she thought as she began to climb the stairway of the shrine. _I should've just stayed home. Rei's going to kill me this time._

Everything had been peaceful for the past month, ever since Chaos had been banished to the far ends of the universe. Since then, Usagi found herself submitted to regular life: she spent time with her friends and fellow scouts, went on dates with her fiancé and soon to be husband (she let out a squeal of delight at that thought), and managed a passing grade at school. For the first time for as long as she could remember, Usagi had the life she dreamed of.

Finally arriving at the top of the stairway, she headed towards the room where the scouts usually held their meetings. The air was colder on the shrine grounds than it had been on the street; not freezing, but a cool breeze that made Usagi feel sleepy all over again.

_It all seems too good to be true,_ she thought. _Peace at last. Why does that sound so strange?_ Shaking the thought out of her mind, she let out a deep sigh.

"Thinking too much will do you no good, Usagi."

The girl, forgetting she was not alone, jumped in alarm. When she realized who was speaking to her, she relaxed. "I know, Luna. It's just that I'm worried. What could Setsuna want to say that is so important? Do you think she's felt another evil presence somewhere? Could that be it?"

"You're making a big deal out of it", the cat responded. "I haven't felt any negative force rising up. I'm sure neither Artemis nor the other girls have sensed anything, either. For all we know Pluto may just be returning to the gates of time and wanted to say goodbye before she left."

Serena nodded. "You're probably right, Luna." Deep inside, however, she knew this was not the case. How could Setsuna even consider leaving now that Chibiusa had just returned from the future to spend a couple of weeks with the senshi? The girl would be devastated if she left for no motive whatsoever.

Stopping right outside the room, Usagi glanced up at the sky. The sun was out now, painting all that was above her in a scarlet tinge and adding life to what just minutes ago was a colorless and barren horizon. Pausing a moment to appreciate its beauty Usagi took a deep breath, reached for the door, and pulled it open.

. . .

Opening her eyes, Minako sat up and took a look around. All the girls were there save for two, and although it was natural for Usagi to be late, she did not understand why the other one was not there on time. After all, hadn't she organized the meeting herself?

The blond-haired girl checked her watch. A quarter to seven. Outside the sky began to glow as the sun rose, and the soft light began to shine in the room. _Where could those two possibly be?_ Taking a deep breath, she took another look around the room.

Ami was busy typing away on her computer, her sapphire eyes seeming to have trouble keeping up with what her hands were typing. What she was working on, Minako had no idea, but nonetheless, she smirked in mild amusement. _The hand is quicker than the eye, or so they say._

Beside her, Rei sat with her eyes closed, legs crossed, and hands resting on her waist, obviously meditating. Yet she could see that the dark-haired girl was slightly trembling. Not from the cold; the weather was fairly warm in Minako's opinion. No, she could guess why her friend was shaking, and it came as no surprise: Rei was loosing her temper. It always happened: they called for a meeting, Usagi was late, and when she finally arrived they still had to wait what seemed like hours for her and Rei to stop arguing like little kids. _Hopefully this time they won't stir up any trouble_, Minako thought, and quickly thought against it. Knowing those two, they would be stuck there all morning before they even got to hear whatever it was Setsuna wanted to say.

In the far corner of the room Michiru stood silently playing her violin. She would dip her bow in long swings - some fast, some slow - before retracting her arm in a swift motion. As she did, her fingers raced over the instrument, changing from the different strings and positions in what seemed like a blur to Mina. The end result was a haunting melody that seemed tragic yet soothing at the same time. Standing a few feet away from her was Haruka, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed as she drank in the sorrowful melody. Following the older girl's example, Minako closed her eyes as she let herself be filled with the alluring music.

The moment was short lived, however, as a loud thud brought her back, stopped the music, and broke the invisible string of activities the girls were undertaking. All eyes were on Rei as she stared at her hands which lay on the wooden table Ami had been using up until just a few seconds ago. It was she who spoke first.

"Something wrong, Rei?" The girl asked with unease. Like Minako, she already knew the answer that would come out of her mouth.

"How much longer is that meatball head going to take?" Rei asked to the silent room. She stood up and began pacing around the table. With every few steps she would let out a short sigh and she would stop, fidget, and begin walking once again. Minako turned to Haruka and Michiru, silently pleading them for help. Michiru, however, quickly turned her gaze away and began to gently strum on the strings of her violin, preferring not to be the one to cause the eruption that was sure to come. By the same token, Ami had returned to her work and the air was once again filled with the light tapping of her typing. Haruka, after a moment of consideration, turned to Minako and slowly shook her head, her message clear: _Stay out of it_.

And so Minako held her silence, praying that Usagi would arrive soon. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind that it seemed like someone had answered her prayers: the bamboo door slid open to reveal Usagi breathing uneasily. No greetings were exchanged, even though every person in the room registered that she was there. The gentle strumming of chords and the light tapping had faded and the room was once again completely silent. Minako allowed her gaze to lay on Usagi as she stood next to the doorway, as if waiting for someone to welcome her. Then, slowly, her eyes moved to the dark-haired girl, waiting for the insult that was sure to come. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ami also starring at Rei, and she was sure that if she were to glance at the older girls they would also be looking in the same direction.

Rei glared at Usagi and slowly but deliberately said: "You're late, meatball head."

The blonde-haired girl sighed, looking completely drained to Minako. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry, everyone."

_Here it comes_.

Rei, however, remained silent. She continued to stare at Usagi as if studying her. After a while she turned away. "It doesn't really matter. We're still waiting for Setsuna."

"What?" Usagi asked. "She's not here yet?"

"No," Ami said, returning to her computer. "We've been waiting here for over an hour. I hope nothing's happened to her."

Haruka let out a chuckle. "Knowing her she's just taking her sweet time getting ready. That woman loves to make us wait."

Michiru nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems that when you have all the time in the world keeping your friends waiting an hour seems like no more than a second."

"In any case, we left Hotaru at home sleeping." Haruka said to Usagi. "No point in waking her up so early, right? I see you left Chibiusa as well."

Usagi nodded, looking around the room. "Where's Makoto?"

"She went to the kitchen to make us something to eat while we waited." Minako said. Then, hearing footsteps slowly approaching the room from the outside: "That must be her now. Open the door, Usagi."

Usagi, being the closest to the door, complied instantly. No sooner had she opened the door that the tall brunette crossed the threshold carrying a rather large breakfast tray. "Thanks," she said to Usagi over her shoulder as she set the tray down. "I didn't really know what everyone wanted, so I made a little of everything."

The other girls starred at the tray with apprehension. _She can't be serious_, Minako thought. The tray was overloaded with various breakfast meals. Pancakes, toast, eggs and bacon, waffles; almost every kind of dish known to man could be seen on the tray.

"Help yourselves." Makoto said with a grin.

Usagi, not waiting for a second invitation, began taking plates left and right, devouring the contents of a plate in a matter of seconds and quickly emptying the tray of its various dishes. Soon a mountain could be made from the empty plates around Usagi. The other scouts could only stare in utter amazement at how much food Usagi was consuming by herself. Then, noticing how quickly the food was disappearing, each girl reached for the first thing they could grab without having their hands chewed off by Usagi in the process.

"Slow down, Usagi!" Rei said. "When are you going to stop eating like a pig?"

Usagi swallowed a pancake whole, let out a burp, and turned to Rei with a smile. "But it's all so good, Rei." And with that she went back to devouring as many plates as she could.

Haruka laughed. "Sometimes I forget that our _dainty_ little princess is in fact a walking black hole." She looked down at her plate. "I hate waffles. Michiru, trade you for whatever you have."

Michiru pondered the idea for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I don't share my bacon." She gave Haruka a sly grin. "Besides, you've put on a few pounds from all the sweets you've been eating lately."

Haruka let out an exasperated sigh. "Not that again! Come on, just one bite."

Makoto, meanwhile, turned to Minako. "So, now that Usagi is here I guess we're only waiting for Setsuna, right? I wonder when she'll finally show up."

"Right about now."

The seven sailor senshi jumped back at the same time, each one reaching for their respective transformation pen stashed in their pocket. Setsuna, however, remained unaffected by the sudden change in the atmosphere. She sat on the couch in the corner of the room, sipping tea with her eyes closed.

"I hate it when she does that." Minako said as she returned her transformation pen to her back pocket.

"And where did she get the tea?" Makoto asked no one in particular.

"Glad you finally decided to show up." Haruka said to Setsuna. "I trust there's a reason for being late?"

Setsuna took another sip of tea and put the cup on the table. "Not really. I just forgot to set the alarm last night."

A multiple chorus of groans emerged from the girls, some shaking their heads, others sitting down to eat their breakfast, while Usagi asked: "The senshi of time needs an alarm clock?" This in turn earned her a glare from the six other senshi. She turned to them and shrunk back. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Because you're an idiot, Usagi."

"That's not very nice, Rei."

"The truth is the truth, meatball head."

"So what did you call us here for, Setsuna?" Ami asked, hoping to stop any further fights between Usagi and Rei. To her surprise, both girls stopped arguing and turned to the senshi of time.

"There is something I need to tell all of you. It won't be easy, but it's something you need to know."

She looked at each of the senshi, her gaze both somber and profound, and Usagi was once again overcome with a feeling of anxiety. _Whatever she has to say_, she thought, _it's not going to be good._

She did not know how right she was.

. . .

"These are all wrong. Does nothing get through to that thick skull of yours?"

Gohan bit back a groan as he continued to work on his essay. How many did that make now? He had stopped counting at twenty, both groans bitten back and essays handed forth.

Outside his window the sky was pitch black and he could see many more stars than he could count. He had been working nonstop ever since his mother had introduced him to his new tutor. Ever since then he had done math equations, studied history, solved chemistry problems, looked up various examples of biodiversity, read two books on motivational studying (at the request of his tutor) and had begun to learn another language. Now he had to work on essays.

The sound of his writing echoed from the walls, the only sound that could have been heard continuously for the last ten hours he had spent in his room. Every now and then Mr. Shu would walk up behind him and look over his shoulder to mark his progress, and every single time the man had a comment about his work and how mediocre it was. At first Gohan had not known what to say, but after the fifth time it happened he simply chose to ignore it. He was doing the best that he could, working on subjects that were far more advanced than anything he had studied on his own, and Mr. Shu demanded perfection in each assignment. He would berate the boy, mark every inch of his paper, and tell him to do it again.

Between Mr. Shu and fighting Frieza one more time, Gohan thought, he was starting to think that he would prefer the latter option.

"You did every single equation wrong." Mr. Shu said. He turned to the essay Gohan was currently working on. "And I can also see some mistakes there, too."

Gohan let out a deep sigh as Mr. Shu resumed his pacing. The boy tightened the grip on his pencil, and before he could stop himself, said: "Mistakes are to learn from, you know."

The footsteps stopped, and without the constant scribbling of his pencil the room was silent once more. It was a heavy silence, far more profound than any that had occurred in that day. Gohan sat on his chair, waiting for the reply his tutor was sure to give. He heard the man approach his desk and he stiffened as he felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

"'Mistakes are to learn from', you say?" The hand on his shoulder tightened its grip, and Gohan was amazed at how strong it felt. For a man that was as thin as a scarecrow he was surprisingly strong. Just as quick as the man had grabbed him, however, the grip softened and his tutor walked away from his desk. Gohan sat still, wondering if that was all the man had to say. The next thing he knew something dull and heavy cracked against his shoulders. Gohan could feel a burning sensation in the place where the blow had landed. Just as quickly as the first came a second blow, followed immediately by a third. Again and again the man continued to instruct Gohan with the weapon he had been able to conceal from his mother, all the while continuing his ranting.

"You ignorant, stupid child! How dare you disrespect me! No one talks like that to Mr. Shu!" With every word Mr. Shu seemed to land another blow onto his back. His mind whirling, Gohan gripped the corners of his desk and forced himself to calm down as his teacher continued his maddened assault. It was not as if the blows really hurt him, but he had more than enough of the man he had to call a "mentor". In a moment he wondered just how many helpless children had been oppressed by the very same method his tutor was now employing on him. The thought served only to further his anger towards the man.

There was a knock on the door, and suddenly the blows ceased as quickly as they had come.

Chi-Chi opened the door, holding a tray with two drinks. "Sorry for interrupting", she said, "I just thought you two might like to take a little break."

Mr. Shu remained with his back turned to Chi-Chi, his breathing even, as if it had never changed at all. "That's fine, madam. We are done for today. I will like a word with your son before I leave."

Chi-Chi nodded. "I'll just leave the drinks here." She tucked the tray under one arm and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Gohan turned around in his chair and glared at his tutor. There was no fear in his gaze; it was firm and unwavering, the same he had worn many times before whenever he was faced with a new foe.

For a moment Mr. Shu seemed surprise at the intensity of the glare. Then he smirked, took off his spectacles, and held them in one hand.

"You will write an essay based on what you have _learned_ on this day." Mr. Shu said, cleaning his spectacles with the corner of his shirt and pushing them against the fringe of his nose. "You might have given backtalk to your mother before, but you'll soon learn that I am a man of very little patience. Rest assured, whatever rebellious attitude you might have gained from your father will not be tolerated."

Of all the things the man had said, this was the one that really struck Gohan. Stronger were his words than the blows he had inflicted on the boy. Rage overcame him then, a strong hate he had only felt towards the opponents he had fought in the battlefield. This man was talking about his father, insulting his memory. Was this the kind of people his father had spent his whole life defending from destruction time and time again?

With those words the man turned and walked out of the room. The moment he had left Gohan stood, walked towards the door, and slammed it so hard that the whole house shook as if an earthquake had surfaced as the door fell out of its hinge. Turning away from the door, he let himself fall on his bed, a single thought crossing his mind before sleep overcame him.

_Where do you find these people, mom?_

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Author's Notes: If you made it this far I thank you for reading this fanfic. Reviews and criticism will be appreciated. I hope you have enjoyed the first part of this story!


	2. Revelations

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter of the story. To everyone who reviewed or read the story, you have my deepest thanks. I hope that, with time, all your questions will be answered.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators.

* * *

Silence: it made no sound, and yet its intensity was deafening.

No sooner had Setsuna finished speaking that Rei felt threatened to be consumed by the silence that hung in the air. She felt cold and her legs were numb; her throat was dry and her mouth clenched shut. The silence all around was suffocating her and she wanted to scream.

Her first thought was that she was loosing her mind; her second, that it wasn't fair. It was a childish reaction, that much she knew, and it lead her to wonder with a hint of disbelief whether or not she was overreacting.

She looked at every girl, studied every face. They were all different, and yet they were all the same. The same thoughts were etched into each of their minds, each one wondering how it happened. And yet, no one dared ask the five words they were all thinking.

The silence seemed to last an eternity, and she was surprised to find it broken by her own voice.

"How long have you known?"

All eyes rested on Setsuna as she turned to the senshi of Mars, her gaze studying the girl for a moment before answering.

"I have known for a month."

Usagi looked livid. "And you didn't tell us sooner?"

The senshi turned to the leader of their team, some surprised at her outburst, others agreeing with her. Setsuna sighed and shook her head. "I know all of you are shocked, but you must understand. Telling you sooner would have been pointless. There was nothing that could have been done, and I didn't want to worry everyone."

_You __certainly don't care about worrying us now. _Rei thought with contempt. But as it stood, she had to agree that Setsuna had a point. If she had told them sooner they would have probably overreacted. _Just like we're doing now_, she thought with a grimace. It would have made things more difficult, and at least now they would hear the whole story instead of a shorter version with important details left out.

Minako raised a shaky hand and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "A new enemy," she said, her voice barely a whisper, as if she had raised a subject that would have been considered taboo. In the end, though, that was exactly what it was: they had all worked so hard, fought for so long, and finally managed to attain peace. And yet no sooner had that peace finally been theirs that it was taken away in a matter of seconds.

"I don't understand." Ami said, keeping her eyes on Setsuna even as all of her friends turned to her. "If there really is an enemy out there, how is it that we haven't been able to sense it yet?"

Setsuna pondered the question, not because she did not know how to reply, but because she was trying to find the best possible way to voice her thoughts. "That is because this new enemy does not exist in this dimension."

"Not in this dimension?" Ami asked, perplexed, as Minako and Makoto exchanged confused glances.

Michiru frowned. "You mean to say that it came from somewhere outside our time? Like Pharaoh 90?"

"Yes and no."

_This is getting us nowhere_, Rei thought, clenching her hands on her lap. She turned once more to Setsuna. "So what exactly do you mean? Stop beating around the bush and tell us!"

The eyes of both women locked once more, and this time Rei was able to see something that she had missed the first time she had spoken to the older woman. At first glance her eyes seemed even, but upon a closer look she realized that they were too focused.

Too hidden.

And the realization that came with this almost made her cry out.

Setsuna was afraid. She was scared of what she had learned, and she didn't want the other senshi to realize that.

Setsuna continued to stare at Rei as she spoke. "This threat comes from a world that is full of life, much like our own, both on planet Earth and in space." Here she stopped once more, and her eyes seemed to focus on something none of the other senshi could see. They became dull, dark amethyst orbs, and her voice lost its strength. "There are many other worlds than this, after all."

_What is that supposed to mean__?_ Rei thought, but decided against asking. It seemed that the more questions they asked, the more mysterious Setsuna became, and it was starting to annoy her. Taking a steadying breath, she spoke once more. "Maybe you should tell us everything from the beginning."

"The beginning…" Setsuna repeated, and for a moment her eyes seemed to come out of a trance. "Very well," she said. "I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

. . .

"As you all know, I am to remain stationed in the gates of time and guard it form being used." She looked around the room, and when she saw each senshi nodding, she continued. "Some time ago I received what you might call a vision." Here she stopped and turned to Rei. "You see things when you meditate in your temple, do you not?"

"Yes." Rei said. "I meditate by the fire, and sometimes I see things. Like moments in time, or future events. It's like a déjà vu, but of things that are bound to happen."

"Not 'bound to happen'," Setsuna said, shaking her head. "What you are seeing is just a possible future, one out of a million, if not more. The future cannot be known, it can only be guessed. That is why your vision of the destruction of our world never came to be. Do you understand?"

Rei nodded, and Ami said: "You mean you see a future that can be good or bad, but just because you can see it doesn't mean it will happen."

"That is correct." Setsuna said. "The vision I had was a really bad one. It was not about the destruction of Crystal Tokyo," she added quickly when some of the girls shifted uneasily. "No, it was something far worse."

"If that's your way of reassuring us, you're doing a great job, Setsuna." Haruka said. Setsuna ignored her while Michiru grabbed the girl's hand and Haruka turned to her, smiling and giving her a nod in silent thanks for the small gesture of comfort.

"How bad is it if it's worse than the destruction of Crystal Tokyo?" Rei asked.

"I cannot be sure," Setsuna said. "As I said, the future isn't set in stone. Every day thousands of possible outcomes are being created and destroyed. All I can be sure of is that it affects us greatly."

"Hold on." Makoto said, raising her hands to her temple as if she had a headache. "First you say there's a new enemy, and then you tell us it's not from our dimension. You say it doesn't concern us, but at the same time you say it does. You say it's something really bad but that you can't be sure. But you have an idea, don't you?" Her eyes focused on Setsuna and she stared at her, not accusingly, but pleading. "You can guess how bad this thing is."

"Yes." Setsuna said. "If I had to guess, and I'm pretty sure of it, this new enemy could be a threat to every dimension in existence."

Rei felt her heart stop. Beside her she heard a sharp intake of breath as Usagi drew back. Every dimension in existence; that was what Setsuna had said. What in the world could be so powerful that it could be a threat to so many worlds?

"But you're not completely sure, are you?" Minako asked. Her eyes were wide and she was laughing slightly, as though struggling to accept a difficult truth. "This new enemy…It may not be as bad as you make it out to be, right?"

"No." Setsuna said. "It could be less dangerous than I believe, but you always prepare for the worst possible scenario." Her gaze slowly drifted to her lap. "Don't assume I haven't thought this through. Even if it's not as big a threat as I make it out to be, at the very least it still represents a danger to us."

"But if this threat is from another dimension, why does it concern us?"

Makoto turned to Minako, looking shocked, as Ami and Usagi gaped at the blonde-haired girl. Haruka frowned. Setsuna simply gazed at Minako, her eyebrows slightly cocked. Overwhelmed by the stares of the other girls, Minako raised her hands. "Don't get me wrong," she said. "It's not like I don't believe you, Setsuna. But even if this enemy is so dangerous, why are you telling us about it? I mean, doesn't that world have people that can take care of it?"

"You know, she has a point, Setsuna."

All eyes turned to Usagi as she spoke. "Are the people of that world too weak to deal with this evil? And why is it only surfacing just now?" She stared at the older girl. "Or is there more to it than what you're telling us?"

It made sense, and in spite of the seriousness of the situation, Rei couldn't help but smile. Who knew Usagi could be smart when she tried? _No,_ she thought, _you know how smart she can be. She has great intuition, even if she doesn't realize it. _

"I agree". Michiru said, nodding at Usagi. She turned to Setsuna, eyeing her suspiciously. "You said earlier that telling us any sooner would have been pointless. Define 'pointless'."

"This new threat should have never existed." Setsuna said, turning from one girl to the other as she spoke. "Some time before I received the vision I sensed this enemy slowly fading out of existence. I was sure that it would simply vanish and the world would be spared another crisis." She smirked bitterly, and it made Rei shudder. "Fate, it seems, has a twisted sense of humor. Not only did this evil not fade away, but its presence felt stronger than ever. That world does indeed have heroes, but I'm not completely sure that they can handle this enemy. And like I said-"

"You like to be prepared." Makoto finished for the older girl. Setsuna nodded. Clearly they were all still absorbing this new threat to their world. But they did not have much time to wonder why things had happened the way they did. The time had come to act, whether or not the girls were ready, and they had to come to a decision fast.

Turning to the group of girls, she continued:

"I waited to tell you because I was sure we would not have to make a choice in the matter. I thought that, left alone, this threat would cease on its own. I was wrong, and for that, I apologize. Now things are different, and we cannot simply choose to ignore it." She turned to Minako, who lowered her gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed. She smiled at the girl, but as she turned to the group, her features were set once more. "I have asked you here today to tell you all this as well as to finally come to a decision. As we speak, the enemy is heading towards Earth on the other dimension, were we will finally be able to face it…for better or worse." She stopped, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them once more, a somber look replacing her hardened gaze. "I do not know what will happen to us. I do not even know if we will be able to win. That is why I am leaving the choice to each one of you. In two days I will depart for that world using the gates of time to face this enemy. All of you who wish to fight should be ready by then."

"Hold on," Ami said, frowning slightly. "You say you're going to depart for that world, but didn't you say it was forbidden to use the gates of time?"

"I did" Setsuna admitted. "The use of the gates has always been denied to every being who ever sought them. However, this time we are dealing with a threat that endangers the dimensional existence as a whole. Because of this, we have no choice but to forego that rule. If it means the ensured safety of the Universe, we have no choice."

Silence once again filled the room once she finished speaking. Every girl was lost in thought, each struggling to absorb the same truth. There was no guarantee that they would succeed. Should they choose to go, there was a good chance that they would die. There had always been a good chance that they would perish when facing a foe, but this time it felt different. Regardless of what Setsuna said, they would still be defending another world. It was for the greater good, yes, but it was not their planet.

It was not their home.

Setsuna looked at each girl, only able to wonder what was going through each mind. Each girl was separated from the next, too lost in their own thoughts to even recognize the person sitting next to them. For a moment she felt the link between them weaken, and what once had been a chain that held the group together had now been reduced to a thread, threatening to snap under the pressure of their uncertainty.

_They won't go_, she realized, and she was surprised to find that she had known it all along. She was asking for too much, and it was not fair to place such a burden on them alone. The Universe was in peril, yes, but they were not responsible for the fate of all the worlds. They wanted to be selfish, to say no, and to just live a normal life. And after everything they had been through - after all the fights, all the pain and tears and long nights of uncertainty, of wondering if they would live to see another sunrise, or if they could finally have peace and live, just live, and not have to flinch whenever their communicators went off, dreading that they would once more be thrust into battle, and not have to always carry their transformation pens on them like scars to hide from the world, just in case they would need them - Setsuna could not find it in her to hate them for it. She had only been living as a normal human for a short time, while the others had been living on Earth their whole lives. She had always been a soldier of solitude, and she knew what her duty was. Even if she went alone, she would not hold contempt for the others.

Just as she was about to dismiss them, a quiet but steady voice spoke.

"I'm going with you."

Her eyes shot up, and she gaped at the girl with overflowing hair that was tied up in buns. All other eyes turned to her as well, but Usagi's gaze did not waver. Her eyes were strong and defiant, and, for a moment, Setsuna saw not Usagi, nor Sailor Moon, but a different person entirely. It was a face from long ago, destined to a tragic end along with everyone she knew. The girl before her was not clothed in royal garments, nor was her emblem engraved on her brow, but there was no mistaking the eyes that now gazed at every person in the room.

They were the eyes of Princess Serenity.

"Despite how different we all are, we are a team" Usagi stated, her voice strong, turning to each girl in the room. It was the same voice she had used so many times before when she commanded the senshi in battle. "Individually, we are limited." She turned to Haruka and Michiru, the girls who mostly resembled the individual facet of their team. Both girls nodded to her and she continued: "But together, we are stronger than any evil that has come our way. All we have accomplished, all our victories, were only because we worked as a team. As sailor senshi, we are one made out of many. If the world is truly in danger, it is my duty, not only as Sailor Moon, nor as the Moon Princess, but as Usagi Tsukino, a girl who has things worth fighting for, to do what I can to protect that which I love."

Silence remained in the room, but it was different: it was less dense, less palpable, less intimidating. Rei, who had once felt herself being suffocated, realized that, for the first time since their meeting began, she felt different. It was as though a weight had been removed from her shoulders. Usagi was right: they were a team, and each one of them brought different strengths to cover up for each other's weaknesses. None of them had to feel more responsible than the other, for they acted as one. Together they had triumphed time and time again, and together they could overcome any obstacle, no mater how impossible it seemed.

Turning to Usagi, a playful smile on her lips, she rolled her eyes. "Well, after a speech like that, I guess I have no choice but to go as well. Besides, who in their right minds would think of sending only Usagi? I'll have to go and make sure meatball-head here doesn't screw things up."

Usagi turned to Rei, and the senshi of Mars was surprised to see the other girl smiling. She knew that Rei's words were only playful jabs, and she would never tell the other girl, but she was grateful that she had replied that way. In the face of such a big change it reminded her that some things still remained the same. It was their way of bonding, of letting each other know that they cared for one another.

And she wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world.

One by one, the other girls voiced their agreement. "Either we all go or none of us go" was what Makoto had said, Ami nodding in agreement.

Minako had laughed before consenting. "Besides," she said, "it's not like Sailor Galaxia was a cakewalk, either. If we could handle her, this new enemy should be a piece of cake."

"This is probably going to cut into our alone time." Haruka said to Michiru, grinning as she released the grip on the other girl's hand and stretched her fingers so that her palm lay against Michiru's. "You sure you can live with that?"

"I'm sure I'll be able to manage as long as I'm with you." Michiru said, her eyes flashing mischievously as she leaned closer to Haruka. "Besides, it'll just make the return trip and what comes after that much sweeter."

Everyone laughed as Haruka blushed slightly, Michiru giggling at her success. Usagi turned to Setsuna, her smile as wide as ever. "It looks like we're all aboard, Setsuna."

Setsuna closed her eyes, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Together," she said, feeling tears forming on the corner of her eyes, and when she opened them, it was to find each senshi smiling at her. The bond between them was as strong as ever. She wiped at her eyes, her smile growing as she realized that, for the first time, she felt like a true member of the group. Not as Sailor Pluto to the senshi, but as Setsuna Meioh, a human being who had friends that cared about her as much as they possibly could.

And for her, that was enough.

. . .

Morning had come all too soon for Gohan, who felt as though he had barely slept the night before. The last thing he remembered was closing the door, which now lay broken in the middle of his room, and the next thing he knew his mother was calling him for breakfast, saying that his tutor was already on his way over. He showered and dressed quickly enough and proceeded to the kitchen, where his mother was already setting the table with food.

"Good morning, Gohan." Chi-Chi greeted him with a smile. "Did you sleep well last night?"

_No,_ he thought. _I slept terrible. What, with having another day with my favorite instructor to look forward to, how could I not?_ But he would never tell her that, and he settled for a simple grunt of affirmation as he sat down and began to eat.

Chi-Chi sat down opposite of him and began her meal. "Mr. Shu spoke to me last night before he left," she said, and Gohan, who was about to take another bite of his meal, lowered his fork and let it rest on his plate. He kept his gaze locked over his food, but eating was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

His mother smiled at him. "He says that you're making great progress on your work. He thinks you'll be able to start advanced lessons soon. I'm so proud of you, Gohan!"

Gohan tightened his grip on the fork, nodding silently and continuing with his meal. He did not have to wonder what his tutor had said, nor did he feel like talking about it. He mentally prepared himself for what the day would have in store for him, but he thanked the heavens that at the moment he could just relax and eat his meal.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that a knock was heard on the front door. Groaning inwardly, Gohan grabbed his plate and began to force his food down his throat. He would have preferred to savor his meal instead of swallowing it whole, but he would rather have the food in him than not be able to eat at all. Tutor or not, he needed food, but he wouldn't put it past Mr. Shu to make him begin his lessons on an empty stomach.

"Slow down, Gohan." Chi-Chi said as she stood up and answered the door. His mother blocked the doorway, but he managed to catch a glimpse of jumbled hair over her shoulder. "Good morning, Mr. Shu."

"Good morning, madam." The tutor walked inside, his expression blank, and it didn't surprise Gohan to see him wearing the same outfit from the day before. Mr. Shu seemed like a man of strict order, and apparently that rule also applied to his set of clothing.

"Gohan's finishing his breakfast, and then he'll be all yours." Chi-Chi nodded towards the table, where her son was almost finished eating. Mr. Shu turned to Gohan, and for a brief moment his left eye seemed to twitch slightly and his lips curled back in a snarl. But when Gohan turned to the man again he had once more slipped behind his monotone features. Blinking confusedly, Gohan lowered his plate. Had he just imagined that, or did it really happen?

"Very well, madam." Mr. Shu said. "I will be waiting in your son's room while he finishes. I shall be expecting him there in less than ten minutes." With that the man proceeded to drift towards the back of the house and out of sight. Gohan watched him for only a moment before returning to his meal, the only seeming bright spot in the long and winding day to come.

. . .

"You'd better hurry up, Gohan." Chi-Chi said as her son stood from the table. "Leave the dishes to me; go wash up quickly." She gently pushed him away from the table and towards the bathroom.

"Right, mom," he said. "Thanks."

Washing himself again, he toweled off and looked at his reflection. He gazed hard at it, studying himself, but seeing beyond his mirror image. The face in the mirror slowly changed until it only slightly resembled him. It became that of an older man whose eyes were the same dark color, but whose gaze was more intense, a warmness that seemed to pierce into him at the same time. The man had higher cheekbones and a firmer jaw, and a smile that seemed lopsided adorned his features.

It was the smile of a father who was proud of his son.

"Dad," Gohan whispered, reaching out for the mirror, only to touch the fingertips of his own reflection. Tears rolled down the cheeks of the boy in the mirror, and Gohan felt their wetness against his own. Rubbing against is eyes, he washed his face and turned to leave the room. His eyes rested on the mirror and he sighed.

_Where are you dad? When are you finally coming home?_

_. . ._

Entering his room, he found Mr. Shu sitting by the corner, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Not in a hurry to begin his lessons, Gohan took a moment to put the door back on the doorframe, slightly tilting it so it wouldn't fall again. Once he was done, he pulled the chair away from his desk and sat down. The sound seemed to break Mr. Shu out of his train of thought.

"So you're finally here." He said, pulling a small watch from his pocket and looking at the time. "Seven minutes," he mused, putting the watch back in his pocket. "Well, it's good to know you can follow some orders without showing attitude."

The man stood and moved away from the desk, and Gohan rolled his eyes. What a wonderful way to start his morning. As he began to write another essay he wondered what would have happened if he had locked Mr. Shu in a room with Frieza. He had no doubts that both of them would kick it off nicely.

The burning sensation that emerged on his back a moment later caught him by surprise, the force of the blow shoving him against his desk as the second blow landed on his shoulders. Blow after blow fell onto him, and twenty blows later the man was breathing heavily, the whip lying dully by his side. "Tomorrow I will expect you on your desk by the time I arrive." Mr. Shu said, removing his glasses and cleaning them against his shirt. "Tardiness will not be excused. Even a dimwitted brat such as you can understand the importance of being on time." Placing his glasses back on, he turned to Gohan with a sneer. "Consider this a warning for future insubordinations."

Anger flared inside Gohan; it had been so long since he felt such anger that it surprised him how quickly it surfaced. Ever since Garlic Jr. had tried to destroy the world over four months ago there had been peace, and he had no need to feel angry, much less unleash his true strength. Now his power threatened to explode, a burning sensation that began on his stomach and seemed to spread to every inch of his body.

Seeing Gohan shaking, Mr. Shu smirked. "I see there's some fight in you, but you're not the first one I've had to deal with who stepped out of line." He held the whip with both hands. "I'll teach you to respect me yet. I'm sure your mother will appreciate the effort."

Gritting his teeth, Gohan returned to his work. He knew it was not fair, but he would bear it; his anger would continue to surface, but he would control it. Mr. Shu was clearly goading him, but he had been trained better than that. Piccolo had taught him more than just how to take a punch.

The long day would continue with the same routine, and for every blow that he received Gohan would push his anger further away. Hour after hour he would focus on his work, his mind blocking everything else, sinking further into the train of thought he would need to block out the man whom had worn out his welcome the moment he had arrived. His hands seemed to move on their own, the material he finished growing higher and higher until it toppled over and snapped him back to reality. Stretching on his chair, he was surprised when he saw that the sky outside his window was dark, an endless sea of stars hung in pitch blackness.

Mr. Shu watched him as he began to pick up the fallen assignments. Checking his watch, he turned away from the young boy. "That will do for today." He said, making his way to the door. "I shall return tomorrow to continue with your schooling. I suggest you go to bed early if you are to be on time tomorrow." Stopping at the door, he turned around, his smile becoming twisted as he looked at the boy, his grip tightening over the instructing tool on his hand. "I'm sure we'll we able to beat your father's rebellious influence out of you, yet."

No sooner had the man left that Gohan felt his control over his anger break. His power began to rise in silent fury, the force of his energy pushing the furniture away from him as the walls cracked open slightly. The sound of all his assignments toppling over again brought him back and he groaned in annoyance, realizing that he would now have to pick them up all over again.

_Control your anger, Gohan._ Piccolo's voice seemed to say, his words coming from the farthest reaches of his mind, like a forgotten memory from long ago.

_I know Pi__ccolo,_ he thought. _But at this rate, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on._

Leaving his room, he proceeded to the kitchen for a quick meal before bathing and returning to his room. He lay on his bed, the lights turned off, the only sounds coming from the forest creatures that moved in the dead of night. Turning from side to side the young boy was unable to sleep, his thoughts turning to his friends. He wondered about Piccolo, who had declined returning with his people to the new planet Namek. Where was he now, and what was he doing? Training, obviously, was the first idea that came to his mind. Piccolo always believed that he needed to be prepared for the next battle. But Frieza and Garlic Jr. had both been defeated. He had seen to it that Garlic Jr. would never return to threaten the Earth, and his father had taken care of Frieza over a year ago, and he had been considered the greatest evil in the galaxy. Who else would there be left to fight?

His thoughts then drifted to Vegeta. He had left the Earth soon after the fall of Frieza, blasting off into space and leaving everyone to wonder where he was going. He didn't need three guesses to wonder what the man had been doing all those months in space: growing stronger and being the best was Vegeta's only motto in life. No, what he wondered was if he would return to Earth, and once he did, if he would still be their enemy. He felt concerned for only a moment, brushing off his worries in an instant. _If he ever does come back,_ he thought, _dad will take care of him easily._

This, in turn, made him think about his father. Where was he, and what was he doing? Why was he taking so long to return to Earth? When would he finally come home?

Closing his eyes, Gohan shifted against his bed as sleep slowly overtook him.

_Please come home soon, dad__._ _I miss you too much._


	3. Visions of the Future

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

_He was dreaming._

_He was on the open plains surrounding his home, an endless shade of green stretching forever on either side of him, a clear blue sky that seemed to tease him every now and then by blowing a light breeze that soothed him and made him laugh in delight. He ran across the plains, feeling the wind clashing against his skin, whipping his hair back. Any worries he had felt when Icarus had pulled him out of his studies that morning remained long forgotten as he took to the air, releasing his pent-up need to be out and to just have fun. _

_Icarus followed closely behind, the young dragon passing by the boy and leading him through the heavens, turning and twisting and looping through the open skies before leading him back down to the welcoming fields. Taking a moment to gather his bearings once his feet touched the firm ground, Gohan threw himself on his back, laughing and rolling on the grass, savoring the moment. What he wouldn't give for life to be like this every day. _

_All his worries seemed to slip away as he lay on the fields, his hands crossed behind his head, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. No work to be done, no problems to be faced, and no enemies to be defeated. There was only simple and wonderful peace. _

_"Man, you're a lifesaver, Icarus," he said, turning to the dragon he had come to consider his closest friend. But Icarus was no longer there. Sitting up, he looked around for the dragon, only to find himself being surrounded by a dense fog that seemed to come from nowhere, the translucent material quickly flooding the once open fields until he could barely see two feet ahead of him. He stood up, preparing to take to the skies once more, when a figure began to appear through the mist, a small and round shadow that was slowly growing more detailed as it moved closer. He assumed a battle pose, his legs stretched out, his knees slightly bent, raising his arms and preparing to strike as the figure came into clearer view, growing arms and legs and stopping just short of emerging from the mist. _

_It was the shape of a person, that much Gohan knew, but their features remained hidden in the dense fog that surrounded them. He noticed that it was someone tall, with long hair cascading down their back. Trusting his saiyan eyes, he saw the figure holding what appeared to be a sort of staff, only it didn't seem like the one his father used. It was slightly longer, and it seemed to be adorned at the top, but here his eyes failed him and he couldn't make out any more details of the mysterious person. _

_Sensing no danger from the shrouded figure, he dropped his guard and slowly took a step forward, cautious to close the distance between him and the other being but at the same time curious to know who the person was. No sooner had he stepped forward that the figure took a step back, keeping the distance between the two of them. He began to move again but stopped as the figure began to speak._

_"Small child," the voice of a woman spoke, a strong but gentle-sounding voice that held him in place. "You are strong for one so young, but I am afraid that your strength will not be enough for the dangers to come."_

_"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, a sense of foreboding rising within him. _

_"There is a great evil that will soon threaten your world," the woman said. "It will seek to destroy all life on Earth. Nothing will be spared of its wrath. You will recognize this evil, for you have faced it once before." _

_Gohan gasped. An evil he had faced before, an evil that wanted to destroy the Earth. Surely Garlic Jr. was far to gone to be a threat to his world. Without the power of the Makio Star he was to remain within the Deadzone for all eternity, his fate being sealed the moment his greed and ambition made him wish himself an immortal. _

_But then, who else could want to destroy his world?_

_His eyes shot wide open as he suddenly came to a realization. _

_Vegeta. He had once threatened the Earth. He had left to become stronger. Was he returning to destroy them all, their small truce on Namek now gone as though it had never existed? _

_It didn't seem right, and yet Gohan could reach no other conclusion. _

_Turning to the woman he asked, "How do you know all this? Who are you?"_

_"I know because I was meant to know," she replied, and for a brief moment the staff in her hands gave off a faint crimson glow that penetrated through the dense mist, reflecting its light all around them and surrounding them in its dark hue. "But do not fear. You will not be alone for this battle. Once this evil surfaces I shall join you in your battle to save your world." _

And my own_, the woman thought, her grip tightening around the Garnet Rod._

_"As for your other question," the woman said, "that I cannot answer. You will find out soon enough. Heed my words, young child, for all will be made clear with time."_

_Gohan took another step forward, but the woman had already begun to fade. The fog around him grew thicker, concealing the woman from his searching eyes. "I don't understand," he screamed, his despair growing as his need for answers was denied as the woman continued to disappear. "How will I recognize you?"_

_"Remember my voice," the woman said, now vanishing completely, her voice echoing through the plains before finally fading altogether. _

_Silence hung in the air for only a moment, and then Gohan fell to his knees, his despair threatening to pour out of him. A new enemy would appear, one that had ties to his past. Was it really Vegeta? If not, then who was it? And when would this enemy arrive? _

_More and more questions continued to flow into the young saiyan's thoughts, a web of ideas born from his worries and doubts. Each one became a different voice in his mind, a growing collection of moans and pleas that would neither be silenced nor answered. He clutched his head tightly, his fingers crushing into his skull as the world began to spin before him. He closed his eyes, but the questions became louder, threatening to consume him. _

_Facing the sky, he shook his head as he began to scream._

. . .

Gohan awoke with a jolt, feeling as though electricity had coursed through his body and jerked him awake. He lay on his bed, his heart beating hard against his chest as small beads of sweat poured down his face. He was shaking slightly and he felt cold, a sinking feeling in his chest that slowly spread throughout his body. Taking a few minutes to catch his breath, the young saiyan pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the bed. He raised his hands to his temple, feeling pressure where he had clutched his head in his sleep. Slowly massaging the area he tried to push away the heavy thud of his heartbeat.

What did he dream? He could not remember completely, having spent the first few moments after awakening in order to calm down. He tried to focus his thoughts, searching deep within his mind, willing the recent memories to come surfacing to a place where he might be able to interpret them. But he had no success; too much time had passed, and his dream seemed to slip between his fingers, floating away like a thin trail of smoke, never to be brought back again.

Looking back now, all he could remember were two things: a strange sort of staff and long, overflowing hair. But what did that mean, and what did it have to do with his dream?

He lay on his bed, frustrated at his failure. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that his dream was important. Try as he might, though, he could not recall the sequence that had awoken him in such despair. The dream lay forgotten and now only silence remained. Not able to sleep, he lay awake, the seconds slowly ticking by, his dream and its mysteries as far away from him as his father was in space.

It was a very long night.

. . .

Ami did not need anyone to tell her that she had an obsession with books.

She loved to read, immersing herself into any book that she could find, fantasy and fiction merging within her mind until only one reality existed. Books always had a way of making her feel relaxed, her world and everything in it simply ceasing to exist the moment she opened the cover and returning briefly as she stopped to turn the page, only to vanish as she once again descended into a world of words and symbols. Whenever she had a problem and she needed a moment to clear her mind, she had always turned to books as a way of meditating and finding solutions to her worries.

That was the main reason why she lay on her bed, a book spread out in front of her and a plate with a sandwich lying beside her. The afternoon sun had begun its descent almost an hour earlier and the sky was bathed in a tint of bright orange that slowly withdrew from the horizon. She had watched it for the first few minutes, using it as a distraction and a means to find solace from the worries that plagued her mind, but failing as her dread slowly began to increase with each passing moment. And so, she had made herself a snack and returned to her room, choosing one of her favorite books and immersing herself in literature.

But even books could not ease her fears.

_Tomorrow's the day_, she thought, her grip tightening on the book as she frowned. _Tomorrow we fight our greatest battle; we will either live or we will die. _

It was the calm before the storm. She was haunted by all the things that could go wrong, knowing that hard times were ahead, that there would be pain and - her heart broke at the thought - probably loss, as well. She looked towards a future with death on its horizon, everything after their next battle being uncertain. And yet, at the moment, there was peace all around her. The mere unfairness of it was enough to make her scream.

She closed the book, turned on her back, and stared at the ceiling. How many more times would they have to risk their lives? Each passing battle only seemed to bring a stronger foe for them to face. When would it be enough, and when would they be able to just live their lives without any constant threats?

She sighed and closed her eyes. The future was supposed to be so simple: Usagi became queen of the Earth, raised Crystal Tokyo, brought peace to the world, and they lived happily ever after.

It almost sounded like a fairy tale.

At the moment, however, the peace of the future was clouded by a new force that threatened everything they had accomplished, and this evil was supposed to make every other enemy they had faced seem weak by comparison. She would be lying if she told anyone that she was not scared. Still, she did not regret agreeing to help Setsuna; by all means she stood behind her decision as firmly as she had the moment she made it. Her resolve had been set, and she would not back down, but where her mind knew the path she must choose her heart hung with pain. Not for her own well-being, but for that of her friends.

Their last battle against Sailor Galaxia had been the hardest they had ever faced. In the end the senshi fell one by one, completely outmatched and at the mercy of their enemy. It was only by luck that Usagi had managed to emerge victorious in the end. If even the smallest event had played out differently there was no doubt in her mind that Usagi would have fallen as well, and their world would now be completely devoid of all life.

And now they were supposed to face an enemy that was even stronger. How could they possibly win?

A knock on her door provided a welcoming distraction. Knowing who it was, she called out to the person and a moment later her mother opened the door, smiling at her daughter.

"Hello mother," Ami greeted. Seeing her mother's tired expression, she asked, "Long day at the hospital?"

"You could say that again," the older Mizuno said, sitting on the chair by her daughter's desk, her body slumping as exhaustion took hold of her. "I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be able to leave. It's been so long since we've had an evening together, and I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world."

Ami smiled, but it was slightly forced, her genuine desire to spend time with her mother shrouded by the constant fear in her mind. _What am I doing?_ she thought, shaking her head. _I might not know about tomorrow __but I know about today, and right now I have some happiness that shouldn't go to waste. _

Standing, her features slightly clearer, she picked up her plate and turned to the door. "I'll go make us something to eat while you get changed."

"But you already made yourself food, Ami," her mother replied, pointing to the plate with the still uneaten meal, "and sandwiches are your favorite."

Ami shook her head. "Actually, I'm feeling hungrier than usual, and it's not every day we get to spend time together like this. It calls for something a little more appropriate. Don't worry, mom, just go and get changed and leave this to me."

_It might be the last time I can spend time with you._

She left her mother and went to the kitchen to prepare their diner, leaving the plate with the sandwich at the counter while she got to work. Twenty minutes later she had finished the preparations and had begun to set the table. She had always seen people in movies use the finest plates available on the last day before someone left for war, went on a suicide mission, or was going to take on a dangerous task that did not guarantee that they would return, but for the life of her she could not understand why having nicer plates would make such a difference. It was illogical and it made no sense, and yet, when she looked at the table once more, it was to find her mother's favorite dishes set upon it. Staring at the table for a few seconds longer she returned to the kitchen to throw away her sandwich when something caught her eye.

Lying next to her plate was a package addressed to her. It was larger than the average parcel, and taking it in her hands she immediately knew who the sender was.

"That arrived today," her mother's voice came from behind her. "They know I'm always at work so they sent the package over there. I guess your father finally finished that portrait he always talked about."

Ami nodded, her hands firmly grasping the package. She opened it slowly, careful not to damage it in the process, tearing the worn paper to reveal the expected portrait. It was small compared to others her father had sent her in the past, and it was certainly different from anything she had received before.

It was a painting of a younger version of herself.

The Ami in the portrait had dark azure eyes that stared deeply into her own. Her skin, pale as snow, seemed to glow in the brightness of the room, and her slender form seemed to stand out in the sundress she wore. Ami registered every detail of the girl, but it was the smile that surprised her the most. It was carefree, young and unhindered, and it held no secrets.

_Was this really me not so long ago? s_he thought, her eyes staring fixedly at the face in the portrait. _I looked so young…so innocent…so vulnerable._

The girl in the portrait did not have a care in the world, and Ami frowned as she realized how much she had changed in only two years. She felt much older and tired, completely drained of life. _What would you do if you knew how much your life was going to change? s_he asked the girl in the painting._ Would you still be able to smile like that? Would you still look unscarred and whole? _

She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear her mother walk up behind her. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she tensed, but quickly relaxed as she came to.

"Are you okay, Ami?" her mother asked. "You seemed out of it just now."

Ami shook her head, turned to her mother, and smiled. "Yes, I'm okay. I'm just a little tired, nothing more."

She knew that her mother was not convinced, but seeing her daughter smiling seemed to ease the worst of her worries. She stared at the portrait in her daughter's hands. "It looks lovely, don't you agree? Just like the young woman standing before me now. You really have grown up, Ami."

Slightly taken aback, Ami said nothing, placing the portrait on the counter and sitting down to begin her meal. Once again, her mind drifted to thoughts concerning the next day and what would come with it. She ate her food mechanically, not bothering to taste it and barely aware of what she was doing as her mother voiced her approval of the meal.

"This is really good, Ami," she said. "It looks like taking those cooking lessons with Makoto really did the trick."

Ami nodded. "I guess you could say that. I'm not so sure Makoto would say the same thing, though. She nearly gave up on me after two weeks. Mind you, I _did_ almost blow up her kitchen."

Both women laughed as they returned to their meals. Ami's mother looked over the table, recognizing the tableware her daughter had selected. "You even set the table with my favorite plates." She smiled at her daughter. "What's going on? Are we celebrating something that I'm not aware of?"

It was meant to be a joke, but even as her mother laughed Ami could do no more than give a weak smile. Miss Mizuno saw this and immediately became silent.

"What's wrong, Ami?" she asked, now staring at her daughter in a way that only a parent could look at their child. It was a searching look, one that Ami knew could see into her heart, an overwhelming gaze that read her like an open book and from which she could keep no secrets.

_Everything's wrong_, she thought, lowering her eyes to avoid her mother's gaze. _This could be the last time we're together like this. I could die tomorrow and you would never know._

Yet she knew she could never tell her mother the truth, her fate denying her the much desired comfort she wished she could attain from the one person she loved the most. But she still needed to give an answer or her mother would become more worried. Keeping her gaze lowered, Ami began to play with her hands, keeping her breathing even as she began the lie she had prepared for the evening.

"The girls were thinking about going away for the weekend," she said, calculating the pauses, the tone of hesitancy, and the weight of uncertainty necessary in order to make the lie sound convincing. "Usagi asked her parents if we could go up the mountains and visit the hot springs for the weekend. She wants all of the girls to go with her. It would be a nice chance for us to get away form everything and get some extra studying done, so I thought that maybe-"

"Ami," her mother cut in, and it surprised Ami to hear her chuckling. "If you want to go with them to have some fun, all you have to do is say so."

Blushing slightly, Ami shook her head. "No, that's not what I- I mean, yes, I did. But I didn't –"

Her mother raised her hand and she became silent once more. "You're always thinking about studying," her mother said, and Ami was sure that she heard a tone of amusement in her voice. "You bury yourself in books and tests and always concern yourself with working harder. There's more to life than just grades, Ami."

Ami reeled back, stung by her mother's words. "I'm well aware of that, mother," she replied. There was a hint of anger in her tone that she did not bother to hide. Was her mother berating her for working so hard? "I also know that I have to work hard in order to accomplish my goals. I do the best that I can so that I can succeed. Is that so wrong?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong with that. I know that you always do your best, and I'm not trying to make you feel bad for that. Lord knows I'm very proud of how hard you work in school." She smiled at her daughter, and Ami found herself relaxing under the warm gaze. "But simply knowing something and truly acknowledging a truth are two very different things. Whenever you finish a task the first thing you do is begin a new one. There's never time to be you in your plans. When does Mizuno Ami get to be a girl and live her life, not her ambitions?"

Ami stared at her mother, at a loss for words. When did she get to live her life? Did she even have a life of her own to live in the first place? In the end she knew exactly where she would end up, one of Neo-Queen Serenity's closest guards, a quasi-immortal who would protect the ruler of the world. Whether she wanted it or not, that was her future. So why should she even bother with trying to live her life when her fate was already decided?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned to the woman sitting across from her. "I don't know how to answer that question, mother."

"I thought not," her mother replied, frowning at Ami. "I know you place a lot of weight on your shoulders concerning your plans for the future, but don't forget to just live. Life can end when you least expect it, and we rarely get second chances to make up for lost time."

She unconsciously moved her right hand and placed it over her left, brushing against the finger where a small diamond ring once lay.

"We worry too much, we hold back, and we distance ourselves from the people we love the most, hurting them in the process. I know I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as we both would've wanted, but I don't want you to make the same mistakes I've already made."

Ami pondered her mother's words, knowing well enough what her mother was talking about. To enjoy life to its fullest, to not regret a lost opportunity, and to make the best of each day. She was unable to do most of the things she wanted due to her responsibilities as a senshi, but she could still enjoy living in the moment. Looking back on everything that had happened ever since she became Sailor Mercury she could see that every moment had been worthwhile because, even though she was always going into battle, she had made lifelong friends in the other senshi. They looked out for one another, and together they prevailed over the toughest opponents. It was something she had forgotten, feeling completely responsible for the future and forgetting that she was not alone in their battle.

What her mother said might not have had anything to do with her current situation, but at the same time it seemed to fit perfectly. Life was uncertain, and there was no way of knowing what lay ahead. Even Setsuna had admitted to that much, and she had knowledge that was beyond any other senshi. Realizing this and being fearful of what lay ahead would not stop her from meeting the future head on. She would not turn from it, but would prepare as best she could to ensure that everyone made it through in the upcoming battle.

Turning to her mother, she smiled. "I think I understand what you're trying to say, mother. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, darling," her mother replied. "I should be the one thanking your friends."

When Ami stared at her in confusion she continued. "I'm actually grateful that you met Usagi and became friends with her when you did. Otherwise I think you'd be alone most of your time, burying yourself every moment you could into studies and feeling empty. That's not what a mother wants for her daughter. Now I feel at ease when I'm at work knowing that you have friends that care about you so much"

Ami smiled, but inside she became frozen with guilt. _Would you still feel the same way if you knew the dangers we face every time we have to fight?_ _Would you still be thankful that I made these friends I have? _

Giving her mother a nod she continued with her meal. It was a question that would never be asked and would never receive an answer, and so it was best if she just forgot about it. She was happy with her friends and her life, and the excitement of being a senshi almost outweighed the constant threats to her world. She would have been happiest not having to battle, but even she could not deny a certain amount of thrill that presented itself whenever she faced an enemy. It gave her a chance to be Sailor Mercury, someone Mizuno Ami would never be on her own accord. She was shy and reserved, and she was slightly uncoordinated in her daily activities. Her counterpart, on the other hand, was confident and outspoken, possessing a level of grace and maturity that she envied and wished to emulate even as she de-transformed and returned to being a meek, intellectual girl.

The thrill of being a senshi only seemed to vanish when she remembered that every evil she faced was capable of killing her friends without a second thought, leaving only a hollow feeling within her that was soon filled with shame. She knew it was wrong to want to face her enemies, even for reasons that were not twisted or wrong, but she could not help how she felt. She was human, and emotions were not guided by natural law.

Once she had finished her diner she returned to her room after a quick shower, ready to turn in for the night but feeling more confused than she had since the whole ordeal had begun. Her dual life as Ami and Sailor Mercury had never given her so much to think about as it had in the last two days. In the end, she knew that only one thing was certain: there was a danger that would be faced. From there on everything else would fall in place. All she had to do was be prepared to give her best.

. . .

Gohan sat by his desk, the world around him and all its sounds melting away as he stifled another yawn. He had remained awake after having the dream (_the nightmare_, he thought) that had shaken him and left him unable to sleep. Somewhere along the night he lost track of how long he had lain awake on his bed, and once the first rays of sun penetrated his room he gave up and decided to prepare for the long day ahead. He had showered and eaten and returned to his room to begin with his schoolwork of the day. A constant headache pounded against his head and his eyes burned, seeming to close of their own accord. Try as he might, he was not able to focus on the work he was supposed to be doing. What he wouldn't give to be able to just crawl back onto his bed and lay there for a few more hours, but he knew that would never be allowed. And so he remained by his desk, rubbing hard against his eyes as he picked up his pencil and continued his work.

The morning breeze was constantly blowing into his room, and every time he felt it, Gohan had to stop and shake his head to clear his thoughts. Everything that morning seemed to be working against him, tempting him to rest for a while and forget about everything else. The constant scribbling of his pencil became slower as his head began to bob, his vision becoming blurry around the edges. The words in front of him seemed to fade out of focus as something deep within pulled him out of consciousness. He had just enough time to place his pencil on his desk as everything around him faded into darkness.

* * *

Author's Notes: This chapter was suposed to be longer, but in the end I decided to split it in half. With all the schoolwork I've had lately it's been hard to update sooner than this, but hopefully I'll be able to mantain a regular updating schedule from here on out. Once again, thanks to all of you who took time to read this latest chapter. I hope you look foward to the next one!


	4. The Return

_Here's the next chapter of the story. I'm sorry for the late update. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

_Gohan awoke with a snap, breathing hard, as though he had been holding his breath while he slept. How long had it been? Looking outside his window he guessed that it had only been a few minutes. The sun was still rising over the plains that surrounded his home and the sky was quickly becoming brighter. Taking a moment to stretch on his chair, he tried to listen for any sounds coming from inside the house. It seemed as though his mother was still asleep and his tutor hadn't arrived yet. Sighing, he picked up the pencil and began his work once more. He had only begun scribbling when a sound by his window made him stop. He turned on his chair, his body stiffening as he did, only to find Icarus staring at him through the window. His body relaxing, he stood up and went to pet the young dragon. _

_"Hey there, boy," Gohan said, patting the dragon on its head. Icarus nudged Gohan and then turned around, moving his head towards the plains outside. Getting the message, Gohan began to shake his head but stopped. _Why not?_ He thought. His teacher had not arrived yet, and the silence within his home led him to believe that his mother had yet to awaken. He could be gone for a few minutes and no one would ever have to know. _

_Grabbing the open window he raised himself and stepped on the frame. He landed outside with a soft thud, his feet bouncing on the grass as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. "You're a lifesaver, Icarus." He told his friend, but when he opened his eyes he found that Icarus had vanished. He looked around the plains and on the open skies searching for the young dragon, but to no avail. Taking a few steps forward he frowned. Where could he have gone? He thought about calling out loud but stopped himself at the last second. His mother would undoubtedly hear him and that would be the end of any fun he could have. He would just have to take to the air and search farther into the fields for his friend._

_Just as he was about to elevate from the ground mist began to spread across the plains. It was dense and left him blind to his surroundings except for the immediate area around him. In little time his home was encompassed in the translucent material, and he could barely see ahead of him. He stood still, taking a look around and trying to gaze through the fog that surrounded him. He did not know why, but he was overcome with a strong sense of déjà vu, as though this had happened to him before. He turned from one direction to the other, attempting to gaze through the mist that surrounded him, as though expecting a person to appear before him. _

Why does this feel so familiar?_He thought, shaking his head. Despite living so close to the mountains, he had never seen mist over his home, so why should he feel like he had lived this moment before? It made no sense. _

_There was a soft crunching of grass and he turned in the direction of the sound. It was a footstep, he was sure of it. A person was indeed walking towards him through the mist. In a moment the shape of the person became visible, a tall form with hair sticking on all sides. Gohan took a step back, unsure of whom it was, but before he could do anything else he heard the person call out his name._

_"Gohan!" _

_He froze, numbness spreading across his body as his legs locked in place. His eyes remained unmoving from the spot where the voice had come from as his mind registered who was calling to him. His heart began to race. Could it really be? _

_The mist began to dissipate, leaving the fields as quickly as it had surrounded his home, and the figure slowly appeared before him. The first thing he saw was the boots that were so familiar to him throughout his life. The orange gi came next, its colors as bright as Gohan remembered them on Namek and as whole as though they had never been ragged from battle. The last of the mist was swept away in the breeze, revealing the face he had yearned to see for so long. _

_His father had returned._

_At first Gohan was speechless, unable to move. He did not blink, afraid that the vision before him would vanish if he did so. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he took no notice of them. _

_The man before him looked down, saw him, and smiled. "There you are, son."_

_The dam broke, and the tears began to fall, but that did not matter to Gohan. In a second he had crossed the distance between the two and tackled the man to the ground. Laughing, Goku put his arms around his son. _

_"Whoa there, take it easy Gohan," he said, but he was unable to hold back the laughter that overtook him._

_Gohan buried his face in his father's chest, his body slightly shaking as his tears continued to fall. "Dad, it's you." His voice was choked and his throat tightened painfully when he spoke, but he could not stop the words that were gushing from his mouth. "It's really you! I can't believe it! You're back, you're finally home! I missed you so much!"_

_His father placed a hand over his son's head and closed his eyes, his heart swelling as he spoke to his son. "I missed you too, Gohan." _

_The embrace, only a few seconds long, seemed to stretch out an eternity. No more words were needed, everything that could be said laying forgotten as a son clung to his father and the man held his son with all the love he could possibly offer. Letting each other go, Goku looked his son over. _

_"You sure have gotten big," he said, taking a handful of Gohan's hair into his hands. "And if this grows any longer I'm going to lose you under it."_

_It had been so long since Gohan had felt so happy that he could not help but to laugh as his father tugged at his hair. "I kind of like it like this," he said, grinning. "This way I don't have to wear any of that gel mom makes me use."_

_A part of his mind told him that it was all nothing more than a dream, but he knew it was not so. He was awake, and his father had finally come home. Even against impossible odds he had escaped Namek and returned. He wondered how it had happened, where he had been all this time, and why he had not returned sooner. He also could not wait to tell him all that had happened in his absence, particularly the events regarding Garlic Jr and the Deadzone. He knew his father would want to hear all the details, and it made him feel strangely satisfied knowing that he also had a story that was worth telling._

_So many questions needed answers, and Gohan could not choose which one to ask first. Before he could decide, a sudden movement to his left snapped him out of his reverie and he turned in the direction just as his father recognized who it was._

_"Chi-Chi," Goku said, the laughter in his voice gone as he stared transfixed at the woman still wearing pajamas and gripping a large frying pan with both hands. She had obviously expected to run into burglars. The last person she hoped to find was the man she had longed to see for over a year. The frying pan fell from her grip as she raised a hand and placed it over her mouth._

_"Oh my God," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes as her body began to tremble. She raised a shaking hand, slowly reaching out for the face of the man standing before her and letting it rest against his cheek. Her eyes widened when she felt warmness against it, the truth dawning on her as she realized that she was not imagining the person clearly standing in front of her. Her mouth began to twitch as tears slid down her cheeks. _

_She took a shuddered breath, the words struggling to come out. "It's…it really is…"_

_Goku placed a hand over the one resting against his face and smiled, his features becoming somber as he did so. "It really is me, Chi-Chi."_

_For the second time that morning, the man felt the wind being taken out of him as Chi-Chi threw herself against him, knocking him over and crashing against the ground. More tears were shed as a trembling Chi-Chi clung to her husband, muttering things that were barely understandable to Gohan but which Goku seemed to understand perfectly. _

_Gohan could only look on in bewilderment for a moment before he realized that his father was motioning towards the door to the house. Confused, he watched his father repeat the gesture before he finally understood. He felt slightly hurt at being asked to leave, but knew that it was for the best. _Mom missed him just as much as I did,_ he thought as he made his way to the dinning room. _I saw him on Namek, but she hasn't seen him since we all left. S_haking off his sadness, he sat down on a chair and silently waited for his parents._

_After a few minutes they came into the house, Chi-Chi looking slightly flushed but happy nonetheless as Goku smiled from ear to ear. As Chi-Chi left for the kitchen to prepare breakfast he took a seat by the table, turning to his son and placing a hand over his head. _

_"Thanks, Gohan." _

_"Sure, dad," Gohan said, laughing once more. "But what happened just now?"_

_He was surprised to see his father's face begin to redden as he laughed nervously. "Oh, that was nothing. How about I tell you when you get a little older?"_

_"But that's what you always say," Gohan complained, turning away from his father and letting his face rest on his hands as he sighed. _

_"Oh, come on, Gohan," Goku replied, quickly looking for a way to take control of the conversation. "I'm sure you'd rather hear about what happened on Namek."_

_At this, Gohan shot up. "You mean you'll really tell me?"_

_"Of course I will," Goku said, visibly relaxing once more. "Only not so loud," he added, lowering his voice and pointing towards the kitchen, where Chi-Chi was humming as she sliced vegetables. "I don't think your mother would like it if I told you just yet."_

_"Right," Gohan said, leaning forward in his chair. "So what happened, dad? How did you get off of Namek before it exploded? And what happened to Frieza?"_

_His father closed his eyes, seeming to collect his thoughts before answering his son's question, nodding to himself every now and then. The gesture was a familiar one to Gohan, and it reminded him of a certain man with large spectacles whom he had met recently, a man who had pushed the limits of his patience to no end, insulting his father at every chance that he had. A man that he loathed to no end. _

_"…okay, Gohan?"_

_Startled, the boy shook his head as he came to. _

_"What?" he asked, turning from one direction to another before staring at his father, who was frowning at him._

_"What happened just now?" Goku asked, staring at his son intently. "For a second, it looked like you had just seen Frieza."_

_"It was nothing," Gohan said, but seeing that his father didn't believe him he continued. "I was just thinking about the tutor mom got for me."_

_At this, Goku blinked in confusion. "A tutor?" _

_Gohan nodded. "He's horrible, dad. He's been coming here every day, making me do schoolwork all day long, and he always says things about you, things that make me angry." He rolled his hands into fists, his body shaking as recent memories came flooding into his mind involving said tutor. The words he said, the mocking tone he used, and the way he carefully poked at the young boy, prodding and pushing him to see how far he could go before Gohan snapped. It was all carefully stored in the boy's mind, playing itself over and over again, an endless string of insults that only served to fuel his anger even further. _

_"It sounds like you've had it rough here," Goku said, putting a hand on Gohan's shoulder and smiling at his son, "but you've given it all you've got and managed to work through it all. I'm proud of you, Gohan." _

_Gohan returned the gesture, relishing his father's attention. "Thanks, dad."_

_Goku nodded. "So where is this tutor? Is he supposed to come today?"_

_"Yeah," Gohan said, turning to the door. "But it looks like he's running late. It's not like I'm complaining, though. The less I have to see of him the better."_

_"That is no way to speak of your teacher, you little delinquent." _

_Gohan froze, his eyes widening in surprise. The voice had come from behind him. His tutor had been in the house all along. _But that's impossible_, he thought. He had been in the room the whole time. How had he sneaked up on him like that?_

_He turned to his father, expecting to find the same look of surprise on his face that served as a reflection of his own, but the thing he turned to face was no longer Goku. His eyes widened even more as they lay on the figure that up until a moment ago had been his father. _

_What happened then made him believe that he had been wrong before. He was not awake. He was indeed asleep, but this was not a dream._

_This was a nightmare._

_Goku clutched himself as the skin on his arms began to boil. He tried to scream, but his voice had been cut off, emitting only a strangled gargle as his face began to melt away along with the rest of his body. The orange gi faded away, leaving only a shadowed figure that began to dissolve before Gohan's eyes. The boy, frozen where he stood, could only watch in horror as his father's skin continued to melt away, leaving only bones where he had once stood. Only they weren't bones, he realized as he continued to stare. There was skin covering the body, but it was wrinkled and hardened, as though it had been dead for a long time. The overflowing hair had been retracted into a ball before it became a jumbled mess that hung in the air. _

_Breathing heavily, Mr. Shu turned to Gohan, malicious intent written all over his face. _

_"Did you really think your father had returned?" the man asked, his usually calm tone replaced by a colder voice that sent chills through the boy. His eyes were wide as he raised his face towards the sky and began to titter uncontrollably, and when he turned to Gohan once more, it was with a twisted smile on his face. _

_All of this added to the train of thought that Gohan had harbored ever since he had met the man. _

_His tutor was insane. _

_"Look at you," the man rambled, his eyes staring intently into the boy, "an orphaned brat who continues to believe that his father will come home. It's time you learned to face the truth. Your father is dead."_

_"No," Gohan whispered, shaking his head. He took a step back, struggling to fight off the cruel words of his tutor and failing. As much as he hated to admit it, the thought that his father was gone had occurred to him more than once, but every time he managed to push it away with his firm belief that all would end well. Now, with Mr. Shu's words adding to the confusion in his mind, he found it much harder to resist. _

_"You're wrong. He'll be back. Just wait and see."_

_"Your father's not coming back!"_

_If Gohan had thought that his dream could not get any worse, he had been wrong. The figure before him was changing once more, and this time the flesh really was melting away. The body was quickly shrinking in size, leaving a solid-white figure with purple areas covering its limbs and torso. The shorter figure turned to Gohan, its cold eyes penetrating the boy, and Gohan, for the first time in over a year, felt himself succumb to panic. _

This isn't real_, a part of his mind told him, but Gohan barely heard it. The fear he was feeling at the moment was real, of that much he was certain. The figure before him seemed harmless enough, but Gohan knew better. He was not deceived by the alien's frail appearance. He had faced this monster before, had almost died doing so, and he had watched as it destroyed his friends one by one. No, this was evil in its purest form, driven only by desire and ambition, an emotionless being who delighted in causing pain and suffering. _

_Frieza, known for the longest time as the strongest being in the Universe, began to laugh as he slowly approached Gohan. _

_"He's dead, kid," he told the boy, grinning as he came up to him. "He may have put up some sort of fight, but in the end I destroyed him like every other saiyan I faced." He stood before Gohan now, leering down at the boy in the familiar way that had given him nightmares ever since his return from Namek. "Now there is only one left. You." _

_Gohan found himself unable to move. His fear held him in place while his anger urged him to attack. Before he could do anything, something struck him hard across the face and he was sent reeling back, crashing against the wall and sliding down until he lay on the floor. The blow had left him slightly dazed, and a sharp pain itched against his cheek from where Frieza's tail had smacked him. He quickly stood up and prepared himself should the monster attack again. _

_"My father is not dead!" he shouted as he dashed across the room, pulling his fist back and launching himself to the air. A part of him realized that he should not have tackled Frieza head on, but he was not thinking straight. He was no longer dazed, but his mind was reeling with emotions, clouding his knowledge of combat and affecting his judgment. _

_Frieza simply smirked, and a second before the blow could connect the alien vanished. He appeared behind the boy and brought his own fist down. Only his sharp reflexes and saiyan instinct allowed Gohan to block the attack, closing his own hand around the alien's wrist and stopping the blow before it could be delivered. He struggled to keep his hold and tried to increase his grip, but Frieza's strength, along with his verbal assault, were quickly overpowering him._

_"He was nothing but a monkey!" Frieza screamed, his voice echoing as he struggled to break the hold between the two. "He was a loser. He's dead, and now you die! This will be the last time a saiyan ever defies me. You will die, here and now. Do you hear me, kid? Let me go! You're going to break my hand! Let go!"_

_. . ._

Gohan stirred, his eyes remaining closed and his body relaxing as he returned from the nightmares that plagued him. He could hear birds chirping outside his room and rays from the sun shone on him through the open window. His hand was tightened around something, and the moment he loosened his grip he felt someone move away from him. He opened his eyes, rubbed against them, and turned to his tutor, who was staring at him in shock, trembling in fear as he clutched his hand.

"You insolent little brat," Mr. Shu said. "You almost broke my arm. What kind of monster are you?"

It took a moment for Gohan to register the man's words. Blinking slowly, he passed a hand through his hair and mumbled an apology. "I was having a nightmare," were the words he heard himself say, letting out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes once more.

_Just a dream…_

He was just a boy, but even so, he did not fear his nightmares. Waking up every morning after reliving unpleasant events he simply shook it all off, not wasting any time over said occurrences. But he could not shake away the sinking feeling that had taken hold of him since waking up, not for his dreams involving the evil overlord, but because, for one simple moment, he had truly believed that his father had returned. Waking up after having seen him, even if it was in his nightmares, was almost too much to bear.

Mr. Shu, seeing that the boy was lost in thought, flexed his hand, testing its response, before placing both hands behind his back.

"Nightmares or not, I would expect you to have more control over your body. Furthermore," he added, "a mind that succumbs to dreams is weak and untrained. No doubt that is why you have been failing miserably on your studies."

_I'm failing because you expect too much,_ Gohan thought, but instead of voicing his opinion, he settled for groaning inwardly. It was still early in the morning, and he did not want to begin the mental battles with his tutor anytime soon.

"I will be having a word with your mother about what has happened on this morning," Mr Shu said, holding his hand once more. "Such a barbaric act, it was your father's influence, no doubt. Not only content with being a loser of a husband, he also seems to harbor a love of violence. What a wonderful combination, indeed."

"That's not true!"

Mr. Shu turned to the boy, realizing instantly that his words had struck a nerve. Gohan's gaze was focused on his tutor, but it was not a look that a normal boy would ever make. It was hardened, all trace of his young features replaced until he no longer resembled his pupil. Even without ever having met the boy's father, Mr. Shu had no doubts that he was the man's spinning image. As it stood, said boy seemed on the verge of retaliating, but he quickly disregarded the show of aggression.

_He's just a boy_, he thought, his hand reaching for his hidden weapon. He had dealt with others who had been just the same, pests who believed they knew everything, who copped attitude and whined and complained until they were instructed and disciplined. Yes, this boy was no different from the dozens of other students he had tutored throughout his career. He would learn respect, and by the looks of it, the lesson would have to be taught the hard way.

_The advantage is mine_, Mr. Shu concluded, his tense body relaxing as his hand closed around the whip he kept at his waist. _This boy will learn his lesson, even if I have to repeat it every single day. Once I am done with him I will have all I have ever dreamed of. _

Mr. Shu pulled the whip from its resting place, the lethal weapon dangling limply on the floor. He focused his gaze on Gohan, dropping his monotone façade and leering at the boy. "You are a dense one. After three days you still haven't learned your lesson." He cracked the whip lightly, and he was almost surprised to see that the boy did not flinch at all. His gaze remained controlled and his features set as he stared at the man who prepared to strike. Mr. Shu cracked the weapon once more, the corners of his mouth twisting into a smile. He was going to enjoy wiping that look off of the boy's face.

A light chuckle, a swift movement, and the whip, which had been dangling moments before, became poised and struck with the speed of a snake.

Seconds slowly ticked by, but the sound of impact never came. Mr. Shu, who mere moments before thought himself to be in complete control of the situation, now realized for the first time how very wrong he was. He had always believed himself to practice excellent control over his prized weapon. He knew the technique behind its use, and he was swift in its execution. Now he was faced with a rebellious student, just as he had been many times before, but unlike those other times this boy, this mere child, had not only challenged his authority, but had also managed to stop the blow before it even landed. And yet that was not what surprised Mr. Shu the most. It was the fact that he had stopped the blow and made it look as though he had not even tried.

A bead of sweat ran down the instructor's face. No mere child could possibly have reflexes that fast.

Gohan gripped the weapon tightly, the end of the whip just inches away from his face. He had caught the weapon offhandedly, the task seeming as easy as swatting a fly. In truth, it had been even easier than that. For all his talk, Mr. Shu was completely readable. _A bully_, Gohan thought, his grip tightening around the tip of the whip. _He's nothing more than a bully who preys on all those who are weaker than he is. I've dealt with plenty of those before. _

"I've had enough of you," Gohan muttered, maintaining his hold even as his instructor pulled on the other end of the whip.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Shu screamed, abandoning all form of control. His eyes bulged as he tried harder and harder to retract the whip to his side, each attempt failing just as the one before. The boy's strength was surprising, to say the least. "Have you gone mad? Unhand that this moment, you brat!"

"Apologize."

"What?" Mr. Shu said, utterly perplexed.

"My father is a great man," Gohan said, clenching his fists around the weapon even tighter. "He has done more for you, for everyone on this planet, than you will ever know. He's the greatest hero that ever lived, and I won't let you say those things about him."

The pressure became to much, and the weapon Mr. Shu had used ever since beginning his career as a tutor met its end, crushed under the force exuded by a six year-old boy. The man gaped at his pupil, his eyes wide, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. He took a step back, followed by another, and soon enough he found himself standing against the wall, his eyes fixed on the boy in front of him.

_This must be a nightmare_, he thought, beads of sweat rolling down his face. His gaze lowered to the weapon that lay on the floor. The boy's strength had caused multiple ruptures throughout the whip, tearing it apart and leaving it broken and completely useless. Without it, he had little hope of controlling his student.

_There's only one way out of this_, the man thought, slowly edging towards the door. He had no control over the boy, but there was someone who did. The time had come to take drastic measures. He would have to take on a different approach, one that he would normally prefer not to use. It required outside assistance, and he hated having to rely on others when forming plans. But this time he had no choice.

He would have to call the boy's mother.

_Tell her the boy is disobedient_, a part of his mind said to him. _Show her he is uncontrollable and unstable. He would not dare question her. Make her an ally and all is still not lost._

Yes, it would not be easy, and he would have to plan his every word very carefully, but in the end it would all be worth it.

"Miss Chi-Chi!" he shouted, grabbing the doorknob and pulling it open in one swift motion. His voice carried out across the hall before fading on the other side of the house. Gohan, caught off guard, froze at the sound of his mother's name. A moment later he realized just what his tutor was planning.

"Miss Chi-Chi." Mr. Shu called once more. "Please come in here!"

_So that's your plan, _Gohan thought, rolling his hands into fists. He began to move towards his instructor, who let out a yelp as he saw the boy drawing closer. Any further actions were detained, however, as Chi-Chi walked into the room.

"You called me?" she asked Mr. Shu, who let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her. She turned from the man to her son and finally to the weapon that lay on the floor. Her eyes widened as she pointed towards it. "What is that?"

Mr. Shu followed her gaze to the weapon. Before Gohan could say anything, he had begun to speak. "That is mine, madam."

Gohan turned to his tutor, surprised to say the least. He had not expected Mr. Shu to say that. Just what was the man thinking?

Chi-Chi turned to the tutor, her eyes still wide. "It's yours?" she asked. When the man nodded, she said, "But why would you possibly have that?"

"I use it when I am instructing my students." Mr. Shu replied, his voice casual, as though he were offering the time of the day. Gohan watched carefully for any giveaway sign in his tutor's expression, but the man was back to hiding behind his monotone appearance. "I tried to discipline your son, but he ended up breaking it. I trust that is not proper behavior for young children?"

Chi-Chi looked at her son, then back at the man. For the first time since she had entered the room she could feel the tensely charged atmosphere hanging in the air. She processed the words the man had said, and upon finishing, her eyes widened even more. Her mind seemed elsewhere as she spoke.

"You discipline…you hit my son?"

"Your son has shown signs of rebellious attitudes as well as violent tendencies," Mr. Shu replied, and when Gohan began to protest, he hurried on. "Just a few moments ago he almost broke my hand. He is a problem child that must be taught how to act properly before his behavior becomes worse."

"That's not true!" Gohan yelled. "He's lying, mom."

"Oh?" Mr. Shu said, pulling back on his sleeve and showing the woman his arm. "Then how do you explain this?"

His wrist had begun to swell where Gohan had grabbed him earlier. The boy shook his head.

"That was an accident."

"Of course it was," Mr. Shu replied, turning to the woman once more. "Do you see? They're nothing but lies. Your son is nothing more than a violent, disrespectful little hooligan. I'll bet he takes that from his father."

At this, Chi-Chi seemed to come to. She turned to Mr. Shu, seeming appalled at his words.

"What did you just say?"

"Well, honestly, he can't have obtained it from you," Mr. Shu said, shaking his head. "No, I've seen it a thousand times. Children who wish to follow in their father's footsteps, even if said person was a barbaric brute. They become completely rebellious and uncontrollable. The only way to handle them is to cut all violent tendencies the moment they appear. For that, they have to learn their lesson well."

"My father is not a brute," Gohan said, glaring at Mr. Shu. "He's a saint compared to you."

Mr. Shu became tense as his left eye began to twitch. Staring fixedly at Gohan, his lips pulled back in a snarl as he moved slowly but deliberately towards the boy. Gohan, who had seen that expression once before, took a step back, gazing at his teacher and believing once more that said man was highly unstable.

"I will not tolerate you speaking back to me anymore," Mr. Shu said, raising his hand to strike the boy. "You will learn to hold your tongue!"

His world exploded with pain as he was sent flying sideways. He collided against the window and his head smacked against the wall, where he remained reeling from the attack. It took him a minute to shake off the daze, and he turned, not to the boy, but to the mother.

Chi-Chi's fist had connected with the upper side of his ribcage, sending him flying across the room. Her gaze had been unreadable before, but now, there was only one thing written on it: the awakened instincts of an overprotective mother.

"Why, madam?" he protested, clutching his side as he struggled to remain on his feet. "How could you turn on me?"

No answer came. Instead, Chi-Chi rushed towards the man, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and pulled him off his feet.

"Get out of my house!"

In a single movement, she twisted Mr. Shu over her shoulder, shifted the weight across her body, and tossed him out of the window, where he landed several feet away from the house and did not move. If the man had been caught off guard by the hit, the unflattering exit of the residence left him floored.

Inside the room, Chi-Chi turned to Gohan, her expression blank once more, gazing intently at her son. Gohan could not understand why she would stare at him like that, but before he could wonder any further, he heard a scream form outside his window. Both mother and son turned to Mr. Shu, who was struggling to stand up.

"How dare you!" he cried, pointing towards Chi-Chi with a trembling hand. "How dare you disrespect me like this. I'm a teacher!"

"No you're not," Chi-Chi said, moving towards the window and letting her foot rest on its frame. "You're nothing more than a sorry excuse of a man who likes to pick on children. And if you ever lay your hands on my son again you will not live to regret it. Now get out of here!"

In an instant the man had gotten to his feet and began to run away from the home he considered to be filled with madmen. He would not be returning there any time soon or ever again, for that matter. He had lost the biggest prize he had ever encountered, but no treasure was worth so much pain and frustration. He would recount his losses and leave before any more bad things happened.

In moments the man could no longer be seen across the vast plains. For such a frail-looking person, Chi-Chi thought, he sure could move fast when it was necessary.

Inside the room, Gohan stood with his mouth hanging open. He struggled to find his voice, and it was a few seconds before he heard himself speak up, his mouth seeming to move on its own.

"Nice throw, mom."

Chi-Chi smiled at her son. "Thank you, Gohan."

. . .

Time had passed in a blur for Makoto, so much so that she had almost no recognition of the events that had occurred in the last two days. She remembered sitting on the Hikawa Shrine with the other girls, listening to the grim news that Setsuna had delivered; being in her apartment, cooking a meal that lacked any form of taste whatsoever; a dreamless night, and then waking up in the early hours of the morning dripping in cold sweat. She had taken a quick shower and decided to leave earlier rather than later, heading to the park where all the girls had decided to meet. She set off into the still empty streets and arrived quickly enough, checking her watch and figuring that the others would arrive soon. Finding a tree to sit under she crossed her legs, leaning against its trunk and closing her eyes as she steadied her breath and emptied her mind of thought.

It was time. There was no going back now. Were they ready? Could they make it through? She had long decided that she would not worry about those things. They would simply do what they had done many times before, and it would have to be enough. If it wasn't…she didn't want to think about that.

Pushing the thoughts away, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind.

Yes, she was scared, but she had never let fear hold her back, whether it was with an everyday crisis or in the face of an enemy. This time would not be any different. Working together they would surely find a way to defeat the new threat that stood in their way.

But what if they couldn't?

She took another deep breath; her mind was clear once more.

She knew that none of the other senshi would give up. They would keep fighting until the very end. It was simply a matter of getting it done. They could not afford to hesitate and doubt their abilities in battle, or all would be lost. But against such overwhelming odds…

_I have faith in us_, she thought, the notion seeming to resonate throughout her body. She clenched her fists as she exhaled and focused on emptying her mind once more. _I have faith in what we can do. _

The faint sound of footsteps slowly approaching broke her train of thought. Someone had come up to her but had yet to announce their presence. Makoto smiled, not feeling the slightest bit alarmed. She knew very well which one of the girls within their tight circle of friends had arrived. If it had been Usagi she would have thrown herself onto the brunette. Rei, on the other hand, would have remained where she stood and begun to tap her foot impatiently. Minako, the poor girl, would have probably tripped all over herself, announcing her presence to the world. Haruka and Michiru would arrive together, as they always did, and Setsuna had the bad habit of arriving when no one expected her to. Since Hotaru and Chibiusa would not be joining them for this battle that left only one girl, one who was always polite and would rather remain silent than interrupt the other girl's concentration.

"Hello, Ami," Makoto said, taking another deep breath and opening her eyes. The blue-haired girl stood only a few feet away from her, looking tired and worn. Nevertheless, she returned the smile and greeted her friend.

"Have you been here long?" Ami asked, walking next to the tree and leaning against it. "I would've come sooner, but I didn't want to leave too early. I didn't want to wake mom up."

"Don't worry," Makoto replied. "I've only been here a few minutes. By the looks of things, we won't have to wait long. I don't think anyone's going to take long coming today." She hesitated for a moment, struggling to find anything else to say in order to avoid an awkward silence. It seemed like they were having a lot of those these last couple of days. When nothing else occurred to her she settled for asking, "I take it your mom believed you?"

"Yes," Ami said, letting out a sigh. "Five minutes ago we left for the mountains for some rest and relaxation. We'll be back in a few days, unless we decide to stay longer." She turned to Makoto and smiled. "Between the two of us, I wouldn't mind doing that at all right now."

Both girls laughed, but when Makoto turned to Ami once more the other girl seemed lost in thought. _There's something she's not telling me_, she realized.

Of course, that was to be expected. She understood only too well what was going on in the other girl's mind. She herself felt overwhelmed by so many things: the fear of battle, the uncertainty of their chances, and the dread of losing someone close to her. They all had the same worries, and each one of them was dealing with it in their own personal way. It was something they had adopted throughout the years, each one of them finding comfort through a different method. Usagi would play video games while Rei poured out her frustration by working in the temple. Ami always turned to books and Minako desperately pursued her performing career. Makoto herself had a love for cooking and found solace as she focused on preparing newer and tastier dishes. Even the older girls had their own way of dealing with things. Haruka would race, Michiru had her violin, and Setsuna would shut herself away with science. The thought reminded her of how similar yet completely different each one of them was, and at the same time it made her wonder if their two youngest senshi had also begun to adopt a similar behavior.

As Makoto continued to study Ami, she noticed that the other girl looked worn down and paler than usual. Her eyes also seemed dulled, a look that sharply contrasted the usually bright eyes that were so full of curiosity and wonder.

"Would you mind telling me what else is on your mind?" Makoto asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

Ami sighed, sliding to the ground and bringing her legs up so that her face rested against her knees. "Everything that's on everyone else's mind, I guess. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't worried or scared. And I hate lying to mom."

The last part seemed like such a petty thing considering the current circumstances that Makoto could not help but to laugh. "We're facing what could be the greatest threat in our lives and you're worried about a little white lie?"

She would have continued laughing, but the look Ami gave her was enough to keep her silent. "It's not funny. I care very much about her and don't like deceiving her. You would understand if you had a mo-"

The thought, half-spoken, caused a shift between the two girls. Ami's eyes widened as her hands flew to her mouth. Makoto had lurched forward, mouth agape, as though the words had physically hurt her. She turned to Ami, and Ami could see the pain of the words reflected in those dark green orbs.

"I'm so sorry, Makoto," she said, her voice sounding muffled through her hands. "I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't," Makoto said. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

She had rarely opened up to anyone about her past and the accident that had taken the lives of her parents, preferring to leave it unspoken. That, she thought, was for the best. If she avoided talking about it she did not have to dwell on painful memories, and no amount of thinking would change what was done or affect her future. It was simply better for the past to just remain in the past.

Besides, she was no longer alone. Her friends were her family now.

Silence fell between the two girls, the rift caused by the accusing words still hanging in the air. Makoto had not retorted, but Ami knew that the words had still cut into the other girl. How could she have said such a thing?

"I'm just worried, that's all," Ami continued, her words sounding dull even to her. "Will we even make it back?" She hugged her legs once more as she let out a sigh. "Will I ever see her again?"

Makoto could offer no reply that would assuage the fears that plagued the girl as well as their group of friends, choosing instead to move closer to Ami and wrap her arms around her. "Everything's going to be fine," she said. "You're not alone, Ami. None of us are alone. We're all going to be fighting together." A smile brushed against her lips at the thought. "It's pretty hard to beat us when we work together."

"She has a point, you know."

Both girls, believing they were alone, jumped in alarm at the sound of Haruka's voice. The older girl and Michiru stood a short distance away, but even so, Makoto could see that Haruka was smiling, and she could hear Michiru giggling as well.

"You two are getting as bad as Setsuna, sneaking up on people like that," Ami said as Makoto let her go and both of them stood up.

"It must be an Outer Senshi thing," Makoto added, grinning with satisfaction when it wiped the smiles from the other two girls. "And since when do you guys believe in teamwork, anyways? You've always decided to work on your own."

"What harsh words, Makoto," Haruka said, turning to Michiru in mock indignation. "We've always believed in teamwork, haven't we, Michiru?"

"Yes we have," Michiru replied, wrapping her hands around Haruka's arm and leaning against the taller girl . "And I've always said _our_ teamwork is the best there is."

"Sure," Makoto said, rolling her eyes. "And that's exactly why you decided to join with us and work as a single team, right?"

"Or maybe it was the fact that you always got your butts kicked whenever you decided to work alone?"

"Three against two hardly seems like a fair fight," Haruka said to Minako, who had just arrived and looked as energetic as ever.

"Maybe not," Minako said, sticking out her tongue, "but both of you can take the heat." Turning to Makoto and Ami, she added, "Usagi and Rei will be here shortly. Anyone hear from Setsuna yet?"

"We did," Michiru said. "She's already coming. We should be good to go in a few minutes."

Sure enough, Usagi and Rei arrived moments later, bickering in their usual way. The other girls could only shake their heads at their antics. Some things would apparently never change. But as they waited for Setsuna to arrive silence fell around the group once more. Makoto had returned to sitting under the tree, with Haruka leaning against it on her left and Michiru sitting close by. Usagi and Ami stood across from her with Minako, the three girls having a light conversation, as Rei looked on for any sign of the arriving Setsuna.

"You were right, you know," Haruka said in a low voice to Makoto, so that only she could hear.

"I was right about what, exactly?"

"What you said earlier," Haruka explained, nodding in Ami's direction. "We're in this together, for better or worse, but I think that'll make all the difference in this battle."

"So you think we can win?"

"I think there's a really good chance that we can. I think Setsuna knows it too, or she wouldn't have told us all to begin with."

Makoto frowned. "But you heard what she said. She's not sure we'll be able to win this time."

"Yes," Haruka replied, "just like she wasn't sure that we could defeat Pharaoh 90 or win against Sailor Galaxia."

Makoto shook her head. "It's not the same. Those times we came really close to losing everything. We only beat Pharaoh 90 because of Hotaru, and not even Usagi is sure of how she beat Sailor Galaxia. We almost lost both times."

"But we didn't," Haruka said, holding Makoto's gaze, her voice firm and unwavering. "This time won't be any different."

_I hope you're right_, Makoto thought once Haruka returned to leaning against the tree in silence. It was strange how it all seemed to make perfect sense while at the same time not making any sense at all. Her mind was tugging at two different ends, one which wanted to believe Haruka's words while the other simply couldn't. It was akin to a karate match, where practitioners came of all ages and sizes. Many times she had seen fights that looked like a complete mismatch, where one competitor was the clear underdog who was counted out from the very start, only to have them surprise everyone by winning in a spectacular way. She had learned long ago that there was no such thing as a guaranteed victory, no matter how much she would have liked to believe otherwise.

But could they really win so easily?

Setsuna's arrival caused silence to befall the group once again. All eyes were on the eldest senshi as Makoto got to her feet. Setsuna turned from one girl to the other, her eyes lingering a second longer on Usagi before continuing onto the next girl.

"It's time," she said, causing the other seven girls to become tense. She walked towards the middle of the group and closed her eyes. In a flash the Garnet Rod appeared before her, its crimson orb glimmering faintly in the darkness of the morning as Setsuna began to glow. When the light receded she turned to the other girls, her sailor fuku blowing lightly with the passing wind.

"We will transform before we leave this world. Everyone gather together."

In a moment all seven girls had transformed into their senshi counterparts, each one wearing the same look of determination as they came closer together and stood in a circle. Sailor Pluto closed her eyes and held the Garnet Rod with both hands, bringing its adorned top to rest against her forehead. Minako glanced at Usagi and frowned as their eyes locked, comprehension dawning on both of them. The other girls waited with bated breath, each one counting the seconds slowly ticking by and waiting for Setsuna to finish her task. When a few moments passed by with nothing happening Minako spoke up.

"Setsuna?"

The older girl lowered the rod as her eyes slowly opened. She sighed impatiently as she turned to Minako.

"Yes?"

Minako shifted uneasily as Setsuna's eyes bore on her. She looked at Usagi for encouragement, and when the other girl nodded she turned back to Setsuna. "Well…you said we were going to use the Gates of Time to go to that other world, right?"

Sailor Pluto nodded. "Yes, that was what I said. Is there a problem?"

"Not really," Minako said. "It's just that…well…the last time we went through the Gates of Time, it wasn't exactly the easiest ride, you know."

At this, Ami, Rei, and Makoto also frowned. They all remembered trying to reach the future world by traveling through the forbidden gates. It took every ounce of willpower they had to make it through and not become lost between dimensions.

"No need to worry," Setsuna said, turning towards the inner senshi as she spoke. "When you last traveled through the gates your crossing was much more difficult than what it should have been. I tested your resolve in order to see if you could handle the burden of the battles to come. This time I will guide you through the gates, and the journey will not be as challenging."

"Wait a minute," Rei said, confusion etched on her face. "Are you saying it's your fault that we barely made it to the future at all?"

Setsuna turned to Rei, her eyebrows raised quizzically. "If that is what you want to call my testing you then yes, it was my fault."

Minako's eyes shot wide. "But what if we had failed?"

At this, Setsuna merely shrugged. "You wished to use the gates, and so a judgment had to take place to prove that you were worthy."

Rei seemed at a loss for words. "But that…you…we could have been lost forever!" she finished indignantly.

Haruka let out a low whistle. "Wow, Setsuna, you sure take your job seriously. Talk about extreme."

Setsuna chose to ignore Haruka, closing her eyes and raising the Garnet Rod once more. "Everyone focus. It's time."

The girls obeyed her command, Makoto turning to Ami and giving her a slight nod. The air around them whirled faster, as though a gale had begun to form. Two lights appeared on the ground, racing in different directions and surrounding them as they converged and formed a circle around the group. The wind continued to pick up, and Makoto suddenly found herself unable to move. From the corner of her eye she could see her fingers and hands begin to disintegrate with the passing wind, the rest of her body soon following. She focused her gaze towards the other girls and saw that they, too, were beginning to disappear. They were leaving their world, fading out of existence, and now the stage was set.

The wind receded as the bright lights slowly faded away. When all returned to normal the park was empty, with no trace of the eight women who had been there moments before.

. . .

Returning to his room after an early lunch that almost made his stomach burst, Gohan closed the door and threw himself onto his bed. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander while his body digested the meal. He would resume his schoolwork in a few minutes, but for the moment he relaxed as he enjoyed the silence in his home. For the first time in a long time, he was truly happy.

_I still have to keep studying_, he thought in slight annoyance. But that was not so bad; at least now he did not have a stranger watching over him anymore. He still couldn't believe the events that had taken place less than an hour earlier. After three days of torture his tutor was finally gone, and he no longer had to worry about the man who had caused him so much grief.

_I can't believe mom actually did_ _that._

The recollection of memories from that morning brought a smile to Gohan's face, and from the sound of things, he was not the only one enjoying said events. Laughter boomed from the kitchen and across the hall, reaching Gohan's ears before fading away altogether. It seemed that his mother had just finished telling his grandfather the story of just how she had gotten rid of the nightmarish tutor.

It was with a sobered attitude that Gohan once again sat before his desk, opening a textbook as he grabbed a pencil and began to write. A gentle breeze blew into his room, tickling his face and keeping the temperature cool and even. He could hear birds chirping from somewhere close by as well as other animals form somewhere within the mountain range. He smiled, his grip on the pencil slacking as he continued to scribble.

It really seemed like a perfect day.

And then his smile disappeared as the tip of his pencil broke, rolling across the desk and falling to the floor. His body, which had been completely relaxed, now became rigid as his eyes widened in shock. For a moment he could hear more laughter coming from somewhere in the house but then the sound vanished as he blocked it out. Tuning his senses, he concentrated hard on something that was still very far away, but quickly approaching.

_What is that,_ he thought, closing his eyes and willing his senses to reach out even further. It felt oddly familiar, like something he had sensed before but had somehow forgotten just what the presence felt like. It wasn't an object, of that much he was sure.

It was a person, a very strong person.

His mind began to race, his heart speeding up with excitement. _Is it you, dad,_ he dared to hope, his gaze turning upwards as though he were trying to see beyond the ceiling of his house and into the far reaches of space. Closing his eyes once more he felt for the presence, which felt closer now than it had a moment earlier.

No, it couldn't be his father. Whoever it was, it felt much stronger than his dad had been on Namek.

_But that's okay_, a part of his mind thought, the idea borne from his excitement. _It's been almost two years. Dad would have gotten even stronger by now. _

But there was something different about the energy he was feeling. It didn't feel like his father. He frowned and scratched his head in confusion. Just who was he sensing?

He tried to focus on the presence once again, surprised that it felt even closer than it had before. It was close enough that he could sense its power as well as something else.

And excitement turned into terror as he felt the evil presence and realized just who he was sensing. _No_, his mind almost screamed as he got to his feet, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. _It can't be!_

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi called across the hall. "Come over here. You have a phone call. It's Krillin."

The young boy remained frozen where he stood, barely registering his mother's words. The phone call confirmed what he had been dreading all along. It was not his father's presence he had felt at all. He was not coming home, and he had not succeeded in Namek. Somehow, someway, the greatest evil in the Universe had managed to survive.

Frieza had returned.

* * *

Author's Notes: With the end of this chapter comes the end of Mr. Shu, whom I must admit is the character that has been the most fun to write about so far. I know I said in the last chapter that I'd have this one out sooner, but with my actual schedule it was impossible. Now that it's summer, though, I'm hoping to be able to spend more time writing and posting than I was able to during the semester. Thanks to all the viewers and the people who have reviewed so far. It really motivates me knowing that there are people reading this story and who look forward to an update. Be sure to let me know what you think about the story so far and what you expect in the future. I have a pretty good idea of how I want this fic to turn out. Now it's just a matter of writing it down. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one!


	5. Through the Gates of Time and Space

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Gohan stepped into the hall and stood before the phone, pausing a moment to take a deep breath before picking it up with trembling hands.

"Hello?"

"Do you feel that?"

So he had been right, after all. Krillin had also felt the presence that was quickly approaching Earth. There was no beating around the bush, either. That was how Krillin always did things, going straight to the point and not wasting any time on idle things.

"Yeah," Gohan replied, keeping his voice low as he held the phone. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before asking, "It's Frieza, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so, Gohan."

He was surprised that the confirmation did not hit him as hard as he had expected it to. Perhaps it was because he had already convinced himself that it was indeed the evil being who had returned and not some new enemy he was unfamiliar with. He sighed as he asked his next question, his heart beating hard against his chest.

"So what do we do?"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone, but when Krillin answered his voice was as firm as it had always been.

"We meet him head-on. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Gohan said, turning slightly and looking over his shoulder. His mother and grandfather had gone into the kitchen to clean up after the meal. It was now or never. He knew he was not going to get another chance.

Keeping his gaze locked on the kitchen entryway he returned to the conversation. "I'll suit up and meet up with you on the way."

"All right, see you soon, buddy."

Dropping the phone he returned to his room and closed the door, trying hard to be as quiet as possible. He took off the shirt and jeans he was wearing and dropped to his knees, reaching under his bed where a box had been placed in the far back, safely hidden from view. Opening it slowly he pulled out the jumpsuit and held it to the light, a strong wave of nostalgia washing over him. Had he ever expected to have to wear this outfit again? Did he truly believe that their battles were finally behind them? A part of him would have liked to admit to it, but at the moment it didn't seem to matter at all, and he shook his head as he focused on what had to be done.

Taking a moment to make sure that the cloth was not torn he put it on and reached inside the box for the armor he had worn on Namek, quickly checking it over and pulling on it with both hands. When the material stretched and retracted once more he pulled it over his head, grabbed his boots from the box, and put them on as well. Taking one last look around his room he ran towards the open window, jumping through it and quickly taking to the air. His house seemed to shrink away as he quickly ascended to the open skies, pausing for a moment when he had reached a high-enough altitude.

_Let's see no__w..._

Closing his eyes, he began to reach out with his senses. Where was Frieza going to land? His path had been erratic so far, but now that he was closer Gohan could feel his movements better. He turned to his left, sensing the alien's energy coming from somewhere far away. He could also sense many different energies converging in the same direction, as well. It seemed as though everyone had sensed Frieza's energy and they were on their way to meet him. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, finding comfort in the fact that he and Krillin would not be heading out alone. Everyone else was already gathering to face the evil overlord, and if they wished for any sort of chance at defeating him, they would need all of them working together in order to do so. Counting the different energy readings he concluded that everyone was already accounted for and well on their way. Only he and Krillin seemed to trail behind.

The wind blew from behind him, seeming to encourage him onward to the inevitable confrontation. _It's now or never_, he decided, echoing Krillin's usual approach.

His resolve setting, he took off as fast as he could, the landscape below him quickly changing as he raced through the skies. In no time at all he had left the open fields of is home and was traveling over the seas, coming across a small city and leaving it just as quickly as he had arrived.

"I can't believe this is happening," he muttered under his breath. Gazing above him towards the open skies, his thoughts on the upcoming battle became interrupted as his mind focused on reaching out to the only person that could possibly help them win.

_Dad, where are you?__ We need you._

. . .

Landing on her feet with a soft thud, the blonde-haired girl opened her eyes. Emptiness seemed to stretch out in every direction, completely surrounding her in nothingness. Why was she here? Was she supposed to be doing something? She could not remember anything that had happened, nor could she remember why she had come here all alone.

Then there was light. Colors began to appear, born out of nothing, a faint reminisce of northern lights seeming to weave themselves together from the swirling vortex of colors surrounding her.

_How pretty_, was the first thought that came to her mind as colors continued to circle all around her. The faint notion was followed by another, and soon her mind was overflowing with thoughts once more, all of them resounding with one another, bringing forth a revelation that seemed to overwhelm her with its dawning realization.

_I exist._

Usagi's eyes shot open as she felt herself collapse. The thought was like a physical blow, crashing hard against her so that her legs wobbled underneath her and she fell hard, lying motionless on the ground as her body ached with pain. She fought a strong sense of nausea as many waves of color seemed to spin before her eyes, stretching out in the infinity that surrounded her. Taking a steadying breath, she once more struggled to stand up. Getting to her feet was hard enough; standing took every ounce of energy she had. Not only were her legs still threatening to collapse under her weight but a sharp pain was beginning to build in her head, and a spreading numbness had begun to course through her body.

Gazing around, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Aside form the colors that spun every now and then there was nothing else. She was all alone, stranded in a sea of nothingness with no sign of a way out or of the other senshi. Even the vivid colors swirling around her did not make her feel at ease. They seemed intangible, as eerie as the space she now found herself in. The only thing that felt real to her was the steady beating of her heart as it continued to accelerate within her chest.

Where was she? They had all left their home together, that much she remembered, and they had apparently passed through the Gates of Time. Was that where she was now? This place seemed nothing like the last time they had passed through the forbidden gates. It was complete emptiness, a place devoid of all life, and she was all alone and trapped right in the middle of it. Had something gone wrong?

The numbness that had settled over her began to spread even faster as her mind began to race. Had she ceased to exist altogether? Had she somehow gotten separated form the other girls and wound up here, outside of time and space and somehow locked away forever?

She fell to her knees, her head throbbing with a dull ache. Her hands shot up and she grabbed it, shutting her eyes and wincing in pain as a scream shot out of her mouth. Her mind was being split in half, and her resolve was quickly fading away as new thoughts struggled for dominance within her.

_I am dead_, a new voice seemed to say. It pulled at her very being, its horrible might threatening to destroy her from within. She clutched her head tightly, her body beginning to tremble as she fought for control. She tried to remember her home, her family, her friends; anything that would give her a ground footing against the intangible force that threatened to consume her. But the voice continued to overpower her, its presence tearing any resistance she could have made with terrifying ease as it continued to send thoughts into the girl, trapping her further and further within the confines of emptiness.

_I have become lost. I am nothing._

She was loosing sense of her body and her mind, and she let out a scream that seemed to echo throughout the nothingness that surrounded her. Then the sound faded, and Usagi felt herself let go of restraint. She was falling, she was overcome, her body was shutting down and her mind was fading away. The world before her was dimming, her vision was failing her, and she was loosing the will to be.

_I have ceased to exist_ were the last words that passed through her mind before she was completely consumed by nothing.

. . .

Gohan continued streaking over the ocean as Krillin slowly approached him from behind. The older man sped up and caught up with him, adjusting his speed to match Gohan's as they both moved through the open skies.

"It's been a while, Gohan," Krillin said. His face was set as he looked ahead towards their destination, but when he turned to the boy he grinned. "So how's life outside of saving the world been treating you?"

"Not the time," Gohan said, keeping his gaze ahead of him. "How can this be happening?"

"Who knows?" The older man paused, gritting his teeth before continuing. "I was sure that Goku had finished him off on Namek. How can he still be alive?"

"I don't know," Gohan replied. "But I'm guessing we'll be finding out whether we want to or not. I just wish dad was here to help. We need him."

Krillin frowned, staring at he boy as he sighed. "I know how you feel, Gohan."

They had finished crossing the ocean and were once again flying over land, vast plains passing below them as they continued onward.

"Everyone's gathered up ahead, and there seems to be an extra signature among them." Krillin looked at the boy, and Gohan knew where the conversation was heading. "It feels like the strongest one there. You don't think-"

"I know," Gohan said, but he shook his head. "I don't think it's my dad. If it were, the energy would feel stronger. At least it did on Namek."

"Well, if it's not Goku, then who is it?"

_Well __know soon enough_, the boy thought as they approached the mountain regions where Frieza was sure to be landing on any minute now. The two hurried on in silence, seconds ticking by as they raced onward, the inevitable future looming over the horizon.

. . .

She took a deep breath and her eyes shot open as life returned to her. The dull throb in her head was slowly receding as feeling returned to her body. Her breath was coming in short rasps as she began to move her body again for what felt like the very first time.

Ami and Rei, who had been crouching over Usagi's unmoving body, quickly fell back as the blonde-haired girl jerked awake. She took heavy breaths, her eyes darting from one direction to the next before setting on the two girls. Ami moved closer to Usagi as Rei looked over her shoulders. "She's awake," she said, then turned to Usagi and moved closer as well. In a second she was surrounded by all the girls expect Setsuna, who stood further ahead, her eyes closed as she seemed to contemplate in silence.

"How are you feeling, Usagi?" Minako asked, grabbing the other girl's hand. "Do you feel okay?"

Usagi nodded, turning from one girl to the next. What had happened? For a second she could have sworn that she had died. The thought made her feel cold before she finally decided that had not been the case. She had perished in battle before, and death had never felt anything like that before. It did not feel as though she had died, but rather like she had faded away altogether.

A faint glow from the corner of her eyes made her jump in alarm. _It's those colors_, she thought in panic. But she was wrong. A faint aura was surrounding her and the other girls, its presence only noticeable as it pulsed in and out of existence around them. Whatever it was, its presence felt comforting to Usagi, as though it was keeping them safe from something that wanted to hurt them. Looking around she saw the Garnet Rod floating in the middle of the group, the aura surrounding them emanating from its adorned top as the jewel resting there emitted a faint glow in time with the aura surrounding them. Usagi's eyes fell on the back of Setsuna, who turned around, saw the girl staring at her, and walked up to her, a faint expression of concern upon her face.

Usagi tried to ask her what had happened, but no voice came out of her mouth. Her eyes widened as she tried to speak again but no sound was heard. She slowly got to her feet, the others moving away to give her space, but her legs failed her and she fell to the floor once more, emitting gasps from the other girls. She looked around at the other senshi; none of them seemed to be having the same problems she was currently facing.

"Do not worry," Setsuna said, catching the attention of the other girls as Usagi turned to her. "Your body is still getting used to existing once more. You should be able to move and speak in a few more moments."

"What are you talking about, Setsuna?" Minako asked, turning to Makoto and Ami, who looked just as confused as she did. "What's wrong with Sailor Moon?"

"Nothing serious, thank the heavens," Setsuna said, turning her backs to the other girls and staring ahead into the emptiness that surrounded them. "We will wait here while she recovers." Facing the group once more she continued. "No one is to wander off while we move. We will travel slowly and close to one another. I can grant you protection from this place, but I do not know how strong it will be with so many of us, nor do I know how far that protection can be extended. If anyone starts to feel anything, anything at all, we will stop immediately until we know for sure that everything is fine."

Meanwhile, Usagi was testing her body's reflexes, moving her legs and arms and making sure that they responded correctly. When she was satisfied she stood up, relieved when her legs withstood her weight and didn't buckle over. She turned to Setsuna, happy to hear her voice come out of her mouth.

"What exactly happened to me, Setsuna?"

The other senshi all turned to Sailor Pluto, waiting for her to answer. The older girl walked back to the center of the group and picked up the Garnet Rod.

"To be able to explain what happened in its very essence would take far too much time. In short terms, you came close to not existing."

"You mean she almost died?" Rei asked, turning from the senshi of Pluto to Sailor Moon and staring at the girl with wide eyes. "How could that happen?"

"Not died, no. For a moment she simply ceased to exist," Setsuna said, turning to Sailor Moon and lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry, my queen, it was my fault. When we left I was so focused on bringing us all here that I did not make sure to arrive before any of you. As a result, you came here first, and we were almost too late."

Seeing the blank expression the other girls were giving her she frowned, knowing that none of the others had understood how serious the situation had been.

"You're saying all of this happened because Sailor Moon arrived first?" Ami asked, her eyes widening as she stared at Setsuna. "How could her arriving first cause such a severe reaction?"

"We only arrived a few moments after she did," Makoto added. "How could such a small amount of time have affected so much?"

"None of you understand," Setsuna said. Noticing that the senshi of Mars let out a deep breath in annoyance caused her eyes to narrow in anger. "You speak of time as though it were some simple thing, easily calculated and mastered at a simple whim. Take a good look around you." She extended the arm holding the Garnet Rod towards her side, and the other girls gazed around their surroundings. "There is no time here, no life or matter. There is only emptiness that stretches out forever, waiting for unsuspecting victims to become a part of it. That is why the gates are forbidden, and that is why none can pass through them. To try and do so is to face a fate worse than death, to become nothing forever more."

Silence followed her words as each senshi stared at her in shock. Usagi could feel a cold sensation washing over her, freezing her with dread. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined the existence of such a dangerous place. To become lost forever, to simply cease to exist for all of eternity, and for that to be the end. She had come very close to sharing that fate.

"Is that what happened to Usagi?" Ami asked, her voice lacking strength as she stared at Sailor Pluto. "She almost became lost to whatever this place is?"

"That is correct," the other senshi replied, moving closer to the group once more. "You are able to tread here only because of the powers I have been granted. Should we become separated there is the possibility that each one of you would become lost in this place, a fate that many have suffered throughout the ages."

"So from now on we move together," Minako said, moving past Setsuna and staring into the far off horizon. "We get it. Let's just go and get this all over with."

"Wait a second," Ami said, turning to Setsuna once more. "The last time we passed through here we were alone, and none of us went through what Usagi just did. Why is this time so different from then?"

"The last time you came here," Setsuna said, "you did so only to reach the future of our world. This time we are not following the same path but rather traveling through dimensional rifts and passing into the void that exists between all worlds in order to reach our destination. The moment we left our world we were guaranteed greater threats throughout our passing."

Ami stared at Setsuna, her eyes widening as comprehension dawned on the blue-haired girl.

"So what you're saying is that the true use of the gates isn't just to keep everyone from passing through time…"

Setsuna nodded. "But rather to keep people from crossing over onto other worlds. Yes, that is the conclusion that I have come to accept, as well. I would imagine that, if such measures were not established, someone strong enough with evil intentions could use them. An event like that would spell doom for all of existence."

The explanation seemed to bring another revelation to Rei.

And_ that's__ exactly what you think we're facing this time, isn't it,_ she wondered, taking a deep breath at the realization. She decided against asking just in case none of the other senshi had understood the full meaning of Setsuna's words. It would do no good to cause further devastation now that there was no going back. She clutched at her chest as she closed her eyes and offered a quick prayer.

From the corner of her eyes the Sailor Pluto saw this and she turned to the other girls, keeping their attention on her. "Let's go. There is a lot of ground to cover and we must make sure we do so safely." She pointed farther ahead towards something that none of the other girls could see. "This is our path. I will remain in the center of the group with Usagi as we move."

They set off, walking in time with one another, silence falling in the group except for the faint sound of their footsteps as they moved. Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars walked ahead as the senshi of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune fell to the back of the group. Usagi found herself flanked by Sailor Mercury on her right, who every now and then glanced at her with concern, while to her left was Sailor Pluto, her face blank and unreadable once more. Yet Usagi knew better than to believe that nothing was worrying her. The senshi of time was probably thinking about the upcoming events the most within their group.

Would they be able to win? Could they even make it there in one piece?

Her mind bursting with questions, Usagi became lost in thought as the group continued its journey through the vast emptiness around them.

. . .

Flying deep above the mountains, Krillin pointed ahead. "Look over there," he said to Gohan. The small group of fighters had gathered at a small clearing just below them. "It looks like we came to the right place, after all. Let's go, Gohan"

The boy nodded and they began to descend. They landed close to the others, who all looked up at the arrival of the final two members of their group. Looking around, Gohan recognized the faces of his teammates. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu were standing close together, while Piccolo had remained a short distance away. He was surprised to see Bulma with the other fighters, but the shock of seeing her there was nothing compared to seeing Vegeta standing with the rest of the group. So he was the other strong power he and Krillin had sensed all along.

Gohan kept his eyes on Vegeta as he and Krillin approached the group of fighters. Why was he here? The fact that he was standing with Piccolo and the others was enough to make him realize that he was not there to fight them. Was he going to help them battle against Frieza?

Vegeta, seeming to read Gohan's thoughts, smirked at the boy. "It looks like we'll have to work together once again." He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "You can imagine how much I'm overjoyed by that."

"No one even asked you to come here," Tien retorted, glaring at Vegeta. "In my opinion, the sooner we're rid of you, the better."

"Yes, I'm sure you'll be more than a match against Frieza by yourself," Vegeta replied, chuckling to himself as Tien glared at him, baling his hands into fists.

Bulma chose to ignore the two men and turned back to Gohan and Krillin. "It's great to see you guys again," she said, walking up to them. "It feels like the old team is back together." Winking down at the boy she added, "Nice hair, Gohan."

Gohan felt himself blush slightly as Yamcha approached them. "Has there been any word on Goku yet?" he asked, catching everyone's attention. "Is he coming?"

At this, all eyes seemed to fall on Gohan, who shook his head.

"I don't know where he is, or when he's coming back. I'm sorry, guys."

Silence followed his words as everyone except Vegeta and Piccolo seemed to freeze, all hope seeming lost. Without Goku, what chance did they stand against Frieza?

"That's that, then," Piccolo said, moving ahead and standing at the edge of the clearing, looking down at the crevasse below. "Frieza will be arriving any moment now. Let's focus on the task at hand."

Vegeta moved forward, his face set as he spoke to the group. "Everyone pay attention," he said, and Gohan could feel waves of arrogance flowing out of him. "Since Kakarot is clearly not coming, you will do as I say from now on."

"What?" Tien said, turning to the saiyan and glaring at him. "You actually expect us to listen to you?"

"Naturally," Vegeta said with a smirk. "I'm the strongest one here, and I'm the only one who knows how Frieza thinks. Therefore, if you want any chance to make it through this, you will listen to me."

Tien balled his fists, his anger getting the better of him. A faint aura surrounded him as he raised his power, a strong wind beginning to blow around the group. "I've had it with you," he said. The aura around him intensified as the others stared at him. "You have some nerve, showing up after all you've done. And now you think we'll just put you in charge?"

Vegeta growled as he turned to Tien. "I told you to keep your power down! I don't want Frieza picking us up on his scouters before he even lands."

"He's right, Tien," Piccolo said, and when Tien turned to him he shook his head. "This isn't the time. Unless we work together we're history. Now cool it, or leave. It's your decision."

The martial artist turned back to Vegeta, who stared at him with a blank expression. He looked at the others, his gaze finally resting on Chiaotzu, who shook his head, as well. Taking a deep breath, he pushed his power back, the aura around him receding as the wind died down once more.

"Now that that's settled," Vegeta said to the others, "listen very carefully. Like I said, I don't want Frieza to know we're waiting for him, so from now on we will keep our powers down to a minimum. Is that clear?"

He looked at everyone in the group, each one of them nodding, some of them doing so grudgingly. He smirked, relishing the moment, but it quickly faded away as he heard the namekian scream out.

"He's here!"

They all turned at once, each one starring at a small dot in the sky which was quickly growing in size, moving rapidly over them. Gohan recognized the ship, which bared an uncanny similarity to the one he had seen on Namek. As it flew overhead there was a second where all of them could feel the incredible power coming from inside of it. Gohan felt himself become tense. So horrible was the energy he was sensing that his body froze, his mind racing as he registered how enormous it was. Frieza's power had become much stronger than what it had been the last time they faced him. But the true feeling of dread came as he sensed a second energy coming from the ship for the first time. How it had eluded him up until that moment, he did not know, but now his eyes widened and he stared at the ship with disbelief, his heart beating rapidly against his chest as a chill ran down his body. Whoever the second energy belonged to, it was even stronger than Frieza's.

The ship continued onward, descending over the ravine and landing a good distance away. The group remained speechless, each one looking in the direction that the ship had disappeared to. No words were spoken as each fighter remained stunned, reeling from the energy that they had felt. Bulma had been unable to sense the evil being's energy, but the sheer presence of the ship was enough to cause her to fall to her knees, her whole body trembling.

After a while Piccolo spoke. "Right, let's get a move on."

"Wait a minute, Piccolo," Yamcha said, turning to him with a smile of disbelief and shaking slightly as he spoke. "You're not saying we should face him, right? I mean, did you feel that energy? This is insane! There's no way we'll be able to stand a chance against him. And you heard Gohan, there's no word of Goku. How are we supposed to fight against him?"

"If you're too scared, you can leave now," Vegeta said, but Gohan could see that even he was shacking somewhat. "If you're too worried about facing Frieza, then by all means go. If not, then be quiet and let's hurry on before Frieza finds us first."

Gohan turned to Krillin, who was shaking just as much as the others. Their eyes met, and Krillin nodded, Gohan returning the gesture. They stepped forward and stood next to Piccolo, who nodded in return. Tien and Chiaotzu shared a look before both of them joined the others. Yamcha took a deep breath and gulped, and then he, too, joined with the rest of the group. Vegeta said nothing, stepping forward and leading the way as they jumped off into the gorge below and broke off into a sprint, racing towards the mountains behind which Frieza's ship had disappeared.

_Wait right there, Frieza, _Vegeta thought as he continued onward, the others following closely behind. _Soon enough you'll see that my power has increased just as much as yours. Just you wait. _

. . .

Footsteps echoed all around Minako as they journeyed on in silence. The world around them seemed an obscured shadow, faint orbs of light shinning around them against the surrounding darkness for as far as they could see. Gateways to other worlds, Setsuna had called them, which had surprised Minako the first time they had come up to one. Now, after having come across so many of them, and with their lack of activity save the flashing light they occasionally gave off, Minako and the others found their interest in them quickly fading.

The senshi of Venus looked over her shoulders to Setsuna. "How much longer do we have to walk until we get there?"

Setsuna heaved an internal sigh, her patience sorely tested in the presence of the younger senshi.

"We are very close now," she said, but the other girl merely clicked her tongue and continued onward. That was the third time now that Sailor Pluto had said the same thing, and any notion of time passing had escaped them within the vast emptiness they found themselves in.

Setsuna ignored the blond-haired girl and instead lowered her voice as she turned to the girl standing next to her. "Thinking too much will not do a lot of good, my queen."

Hearing the voice talking to her, Usagi seemed to come to and smiled weakly. "Would you believe that Luna told me the exact same thing before we left?" She kept her gaze locked on the backs of the girls ahead of her, her voice low so that only Setsuna and Ami - who was also standing close by to her - could hear her words. "It seems like I've been doing too much of that lately, being lost in thought, wondering what will happen once we get out of here."

Setsuna glanced at the girl, reading her thoughts like an open book. "I understand what you are going through. Being worried in the face of uncertainty is natural. The fact that you are standing here now is proof that you have decided not to let your fear control what you can do. In a way, you have already begun to win the battle within yourself."

"Yes, but can _we_ win the battle for _our_ future?"

It was the question that had been burning on everyone's mind ever since they had learned of the new enemy that threatened their world. Ami, who had been listening in on the conversation in silence, now moved slightly closer to the other two girls as Setsuna seemed to ponder the matter. Usagi turned to face the senshi of time, waiting for the reply that was sure to come, even if it was not the one she wanted to hear.

"The future is ever-changing, as you know," Sailor Pluto said, and when Usagi and Ami nodded, she continued. "I can see many different outcomes arising from this event, but none of them seems more certain than the last. Each one is just as likely to happen as the next. I am sorry, I know that is not the answer any of you wants to hear, but it is the truth. But we cannot let that truth affect how well we handle the situation," she added, seeing the same crestfallen look on both girls. "I have also seen many possible outcomes that favor our victory."

She did not mention that many of those outcomes involved a loss on their part, feeling that it would have been the final blow that would crush any resolve left in their team. They could not afford to ponder what could be or what could have been at a time like this. It was time to come to terms with the present situation and handle it as best they could, or all would be lost.

After walking for a few more minutes, Setsuna called the group to a halt.

"We have arrived."

The group stopped moving at once, each one looking around and spotting what they were looking for. Setsuna moved forward and stood before an orb of light that looked the same as every other one they had come across on their journey. The girls slowly moved up to her, any feelings of weariness and ache gone as adrenaline and anxiety began to course through them once more. They each stood next to one another waiting for Setsuna, who had her back turned to them, to open the gate.

Rei looked around, seeing other blimps of light in the distance. "Are you sure this is the right one, Setsuna?" she asked, motioning around her to the other similar objects floating around them.

"I am sure," the senshi of time stated simply. "Now everyone listen closely."

She turned to face them, and seeing resolve reflected in each look she relaxed.

_Good. All may not be lost just yet. _

"The time has come to do what we can for the fate of our world." She gazed into each girl, testing them one final time. "I have said before that the future hangs in the outcome of this battle. Nothing has changed. Whether we win or lose will change everything."

Usagi could feel her nerves as she had never felt them before. There were too many emotions raging within her for her to know which one was dominating her being, but there was also a resolution that stood firm against everything else. No matter what, she would not give up.

"I already said I would fight," she stated, moving forward and standing in front of Setsuna. "We already decided to face this threat together." She motioned behind her to the other girls. "_That_ hasn't changed. We're all still here, willing to go on for our world, and together I know we can win."

Haruka smiled. "There's the Usako we know and love." She turned to Michiru, nodding towards the senshi of time. "Shall we go, love?"

Michiru nodded and the two of them moved towards Usagi and Setsuna. Ami had followed closely behind while Minako took a deep breath and set off after her, Makoto and Rei following closely.

Setsuna remained silent for a moment before nodding at the group. "We fight together, then."

She turned back to the orb of light in front of them and circled around it, seeming to contemplate it in silence. The others waited for her to act, each one standing at attention for what was to come. Finally, Setsuna returned to the group.

"I will send the seven of you ahead this time." Her eyes trailed to where Usagi stood. "I will remain behind until everyone has passed through, and then I shall pass, myself." Her eyes narrowed as she continued. "Once you cross over, you are all to wait for the others. Do not do anything until all of us are safely on the other side. I will arrive shortly after all of you cross into the other world and we will set out from there."

Seeing that each girl had understood, Setsuna closed her eyes and raised the Garnet Rod in the similar way they had seen her do when they left their home. Following suit, Usagi closed her eyes, willing away every negative thought in her mind from the present moment. When she opened her eyes once more, the orb's light, as well as its size, had increased greatly. Faint patterns appeared below them and for the second time in what felt like far too long, but no time at all, she found herself unable to move. A refreshing wave surged through her body and her senses seemed to explode into life. All at once she could hear the wind, her mouth tasted bitter, a deep smell that seemed like dirt rushed into her nostrils, and colors seemed to come to life as light flooded in all around her. If she had been able to move she would have been smiling. The looming void all around them did not seem to matter anymore.

She was being reborn in another world.

Her mind relaxed, Usagi took a deep breath - the breath of life - as her conscience left the vast emptiness and her body crossed through the Gates of Time.

. . .

"Landing sequence completed."

The darkened room seemed to come to life once more as the dim lights shut off and color flooded back onto the ship. He took his time getting to his feet, the others around him standing alert and shaking as he turned towards the door. As he passed by each one of them they let out a trembling sigh, glad that they had not incurred his wrath. It was an event that had repeated itself throughout the journey to planet Earth, and he paused a moment to take it all in. It seemed like so long ago since the last time his men had been so openly apprehensive around him.

And why should they not? He was the Lord of the Universe; all life would eventually bow down before him. It was only a matter of time until the thought became a reality. But first there was a planet waiting to be annihilated. He would make sure to destroy every single source of life on it.

And then, once _he_ arrived, all that he held dear would be gone.

His features grew dark as his thoughts turned to the one person he had come to hate with a burning passion. The mysterious being had appeared out of the blue just in time to save his friends and to issue an open challenge to the cold tyrant, something that had never happened before. Any surprise at such actions had quickly dissolved as the battle went underway and the difference between their powers became apparent. His opponent was indeed strong, stronger than anyone he had ever come across, but that did not matter. In the end he too would fall short of defeating the strongest being in the Universe.

But he had underestimated his opponent and the determination that motivated him. He had not been able to kill the man. What was more, he had not been able to even defeat him. He bared his teeth as thoughts of the battle's last few moments flashed before his eyes, the recollection of events seeming to freeze on the figure of the one who had been able to beat him.

The saiyan monkey who had humiliated him…

Red sparks shot out of his body, a physical manifestation of the rage that was caused by the mere memories of his defeat. He was the strongest fighter in the Universe, the conqueror of planets, the almighty Frieza. And yet he had been bested in battle by a low-class saiyan. He had been made to grovel and beg at his feet, his life in the monkey's hands an ironic twist of fate that had left his body mutilated and his energy quickly fading away, the end result of his own attack meant to end the battle in his favor. That he lived now was only because he had been shown mercy, receiving energy from the one who had caused his reality to shatter and brought his world crashing down. In a matter of minutes he had gone from being Lord of the Universe who was feared by all, to Frieza the humbled, who was bested by a monkey.

The humiliation he had experienced would be returned tenfold. Yes, the one known as Goku would pay.

"Honestly, Frieza, I'm beginning to think that you're taking this trip a little too seriously. We mustn't loose our temper, now."

Chuckling, the cold tyrant turned to his father, sparks of energy continuing to emanate from his body. "Not at all, father, I'm just anxious to get outside. We've been crammed inside this ship for such a long time." He turned towards the door once more. "I wish to blow this planet up."

"Yes, yes, by all means, let's finish this vengeful crusade of yours and be on our way. We have much more important matters to deal with aside from this, and I would like to see them done as quickly as possible."

Frieza nodded, stating simply, "As you wish, father." But as he turned to the door once more, his eyes narrowed slightly. _There is nothing more important to me than getting revenge on that monkey. I will make him suffer for what he did to me. _

_I will make this whole planet suffer. _

With that thought he left the room, enticement increasing within him as each step taken seemed to further doom the fate of the planet.

. . .

The group had taken off in an instant, wasting no time in overanalyzing the immense power they were threatened with. Gohan followed closely behind Vegeta and Piccolo while the others brought up the rear, moving quickly over the rocky terrain as they approached the peaks behind which they had seen Frieza's ship land. It had been made clear that they were not to use their power until it was absolutely necessary. Reaching the base of the crag after the other two, and seeing them begin to ascend towards the top of the obstruction, he wasted no time reaching for a protruding piece and began the slow climb over the wall. Krillin moved closely ahead of him, hoisting himself over the same path the saiyan and namekian had treaded moments earlier and showing the boy which cracks were stable enough to use as stable footing for the climb. In truth, he was glad for a distraction from the upcoming battle and a chance to forget about the immense power they were sensing, even if it lasted only a few seconds each time. He had not felt Frieza's true power on Namek, and feeling it now, even greater and more terrifying than before, was almost too much to bear.

Gohan hoisted himself up and came to be on the same level as his friend. Making sure his hold was stable enough with just one hand he reached out with his free hand and shook his friend. "Are you okay, Krillin?"

The older man came to and grinned apologetically. There were beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow and he was shaking slightly. "Yeah, I almost lost it there for a second." He gazed upward at the top of the wall and remained silent. Gohan, who had been fighting side by side with the other man for the last few years, stared at his friend, knowing only too well how he felt. The nightmare they had thought to have escaped on Namek had now returned more menacing than ever before. How they were going to make it through, he had no idea. There was even the possibility that they would fail in the process. Whatever the outcome, it was too late to turn back now. Placing his hand on Krillin's shoulder once more, Gohan motioned towards the top and began to climb again, with Krillin following closely behind.

Reaching the summit, Gohan walked up to Vegeta and Piccolo, both of whom were unusually silent, even by their own standards. Seeing the boy staring at them Piccolo nodded while Vegeta merely turned away and stared farther into the mountains. His mind was reeling with thoughts of the upcoming battle and how they would face Frieza. Being the strongest one there, most of the fighting would be done by him. He was also relying on the namekian and the young boy to be able to handle the other immense power while he had his hands full with Frieza. Already he could see so many parts of his plan falling apart, but there was no time to come up with anything better.

Piccolo, who had been coming up with his own plan, walked up behind Vegeta while Gohan pulled Krillin over the cliff and onto solid ground. He regarded the saiyan for a moment and, making sure that Gohan and Krillin were out of earshot, said, "I know you have some sort of strategy." Vegeta said nothing. Piccolo tried to read his gaze, but when he was unsuccessful he decided not to stall any longer. "What's your plan?"

"My plan is to defeat Frieza," Vegeta replied, his gaze shifting towards the namekian. "I thought that much would be obvious. And I'll do it by myself," he added, Piccolo offering no objections. He nodded towards the young boy, who was approaching them with Krillin following closely behind. "You and the brat will take whoever else there is. I doubt you'll be able to beat him, but you'll do nicely until I can finish off Frieza."

Piccolo remained silent, knowing better than to take the bait the man had so obviously placed. Now was not the time to be fighting over who was stronger, and if they could not work together, all hope was truly lost. If tolerating Vegeta's ego was what it took for them to be able to stand a chance, then so be it.

"Fine," he replied, beginning to set off along the path once more, "but I'll be handling the other one alone. There's no need for Gohan to fight, so keep him out of it."

Gohan, upon hearing his name, turned to Piccolo in surprise, while Vegeta, for the first time since the boy had seen him in almost two years, began to laugh. The sound seemed to ring around them, lacking any of the fear that Gohan had seen on him before.

"You really are utterly predictable, namek," Vegeta said, continuing to chuckle. "You want to keep the boy safe, so you'd rather fight alone than risk him getting hurt." He remained silent for a moment, and when he spoke once more the laughter in his voice was gone. "You won't last long by yourself, you know. You'll be completely destroyed." He heard Gohan and Krillin gasp at his words, but he paid them no attention. "But if you wish to die so badly, then be my guest. I just need you to distract whoever's with Frieza until I can finish him off myself."

"Drop the act, Vegeta," Krillin said, causing everyone to turn to him. "We all know you're not strong enough to face him on your own. It'll be suicide."

Vegeta growled, grabbing the shorter man by the front of his shirt and hoisting him in the air. "Don't ever pretend to tell me how strong I am, you little runt. I'm the strongest saiyan who has ever lived, and I alone will be the one to destroy Frieza. So unless I ask for your opinion," he added, tossing Krillin back to the ground, "you will be quiet and do as you're told."

Gohan moved quickly to where Krillin lay on the ground, glaring at the older saiyan as he helped his friend get to his feet.

"What's your problem, Vegeta? He was only trying to help."

"Then I guess I don't need his help after all if that's his idea of helping," Vegeta replied. "I'm the strongest one here, and since Kakarot was clearly no match for Frieza and decided to drop off the face of the Earth like a coward, I guess that leaves me."

"Shut up!"

All eyes turned to the boy, silence hanging in the air. Tien and Yamcha, who had just arrived, looked from one face to the other before turning to Gohan as well. The young boy was shaking slightly, but it was not out of fear. Anger was coursing through him like a wildfire consuming everything in its path. He did not know why Vegeta's words had infuriated him so much, but in that moment he was reminded with a burning passion of a short man with spectacles who did nothing but mock his father at every moment. The two voices seemed to become one in his mind, a single figure in which he could focus all of his anger.

"My dad's not weak and he's not a coward," he said to Vegeta, the group remaining silent as he spoke. "He's always going to be stronger than you, and you're here now because he saved your life."

There was a rupture in the group as many things seemed to happen at once. Vegeta had reeled back only for a moment before the familiar snarl had appeared on his face. Gohan had bared his fists, ready to launch himself onto the older man as Krillin grabbed him by the shoulders and Piccolo stepped between them, stopping any conflict that could erupt before it began. Yamcha and Tien had begun to move forward as Chiaotzu climbed onto solid ground. All things were immediately stopped, however, as a bright light caught their attention.

A sphere of light had appeared out of nowhere and was growing larger and larger as the light it radiated continued to intensify. Strong winds had also begun to pick up around them as the light began to engulf their surroundings. All thoughts on the previous matter lay forgotten as Gohan closed his eyes tightly and used his arms as cover against the blinding light ahead of him.

He heard Krillin scream, "What's going on?" and wondered the same thing as everyone else also shielded their eyes.

They remained rooted to the spot, each one focused on the light surrounding them until it diminished and all returned to normal.

* * *

Author's Notes: The concept behind this story began almost five years ago, when I was seeing Sailor Stars for the first time and started writing different ideas regarding a crossover fanfic between both Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. Back then, the last part of this chapter stood as a focal point for the story because it represented the first time that both groups would come together. Now that I've reached that point, much older than I was back then, I look back at such a long journey and can only marvel at how long it has been. No matter how long each update takes, I will continue writing this story until the end.

As always, thanks to everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing this story. I hope you have enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you look foward to the next one when both groups finally come together for the first time.


	6. Mysterious Youths

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I made an update, and I'm very sorry for that. Ever since I began the college year it's been hard to find free time to write. But write I shall, for I'm not planning on stopping the story. So here's a quick update for the moment. I wish it were longer, but I figured I would make up for it in the next chapter. My thanks go to everyone who has reviewed the story and/or left me messages. I'm sorry for not replying (and for that I have no excuse), and I hope that you enjoy this new chapter.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Frieza stood in the narrow corridor of the ship waiting for his father to step up behind him. The hatch overhead opened and sunlight came pouring inside. A faint orb surrounded them as they took to the air, their soldiers below exiting the ship through its hull and assembling outside as the two aliens descended and landed ahead of them. He took a look around, gazing at the surrounding landscape. Most of it was made up of rocky terrain, but while on the air he had seen beyond the mountains and his sight had set on waters that spread as far as he could see. He was sure that there would be much vegetation growing on other areas, and despite how he was feeling, he could not help but to shake his head. Such a planet would have undoubtedly been a good addition to his ever-growing empire.

What a waste to simply blow it up.

One of his henchmen walked up to him and bowed. "Sire, we detected a few energy sources nearby during the landing sequence. The second division was already dispatched to scout the area with orders to destroy anything they come in contact with."

The evil tyrant nodded and the scout fell in with the rest of the group. "So they already know I'm here," he muttered before turning to his father and smirking. "Those pitiful little insects are the worst kind. They latch on to life, and it's almost impossible to exterminate them in one fell swoop. They were lucky last time, but rest assured that this time there won't be anyone coming to save them."

"Whatever you say, my son," his father replied, looking over the terrain. "But I do wish you would hurry up with these plans of yours. You could have already blown the planet up at least five times. We don't have all day, you know."

"Patience, father," Frieza replied, his cold features alive with malice. "We have enough time to enjoy ourselves, and I intend to enjoy this as much as I can." He licked his lips, turning to look over the terrain that surrounded them. Somewhere not too far away his prey was on the move. He could almost feel them moving around, squirming around the dirt like worms. They would have surely sensed his power by now, greater than last time, and he fully intended on giving them a thorough demonstration on just how powerful he had become.

Yes, he had lost most of his organic body, but the loss was not without its privileges: no longer was his complete power out of his control. His new body was capable of handling the strain of his full power as well as going far beyond his previous limitations. The mechanical components that composed his hybrid form were the best that could be made, and they had certainly been worth the pain he had undergone during their attachment. No longer was he limited to concealing his true form to save energy. Now he could generate as much of it as he wanted. In time, and with greater technology, he would become even stronger.

Perhaps someday he might even become stronger than his father, and then it would be he, Frieza, who would oversee the Universe, just as it was meant to be.

His thoughts carefully stored in his mind, the cold tyrant returned to the task at hand. Some of his men were already looking for the pesky fighters, but he had no doubts in his mind that they were already dead or close to being so. They were greatly outclassed, and he had only agreed for them to be sent ahead in order for a battle to ensue. He had no way of knowing where his enemies were, but if he knew Vegeta, the man would solve his problems by blasting anything in his path into oblivion. It was that trademark attitude that he was counting on to locate the little offensive strike the saiyan might have organized to resist him.

No sooner had the thoughts crossed his mind that an explosion seemed to burst forth from farther into the mountain, its radiance growing in size as heavy winds blew dust and rocks in every direction. Frieza and his father turned in its direction and the smaller alien began to laugh with glee. _So there you are, my little prince._ The time had come to gain his revenge on all those who had opposed him on Namek. He would be sure to make an example of them, taking his time delivering every blow and slowly breaking their bodies until they begged for death. And once that moment came, he would have them slowly bleed out the last of their lives as he awaited the arrival of Goku.

Turning to his soldiers, he called them to attention, dividing them into two groups and addressing the smaller group that would be sent ahead. "The little rodents have been found. It is time for you to serve your master and make an example of them. Show them what it means to cross the almighty Frieza!"

There was a collective shout of "sire" as the smaller team took to the air in the direction of the explosion while the second team fell back and remained next to the ship. Frieza chuckled as he watched them take off and then turned to his father. "I will give them a chance to fight for their lives. If they succeed, and I'm most certain they will, then I will deal with them myself."

His father shook his head. "And yet you sent two waves of our own soldiers after them, knowing fully well that they would be no match for them. What have I told you about wasting valuable resources, my son?"

Frieza smirked. "Think of it this way, father," he said, his voice low so that the others would not hear him. "At least now you won't have to pay them for their service to our cause."

This in turn earned a chuckle from his father. "You truly have become quite the businessman, Frieza. I must say I am quite impressed."

"Thank you, father."

Both father and son began to laugh together, a twisted and discordant sound that echoed in the mountains and paralyzed the remaining soldiers standing by the ship. Even when the evil tyrant was in a good mood, they knew only too well that their lives were still not guaranteed, a fact that was further confirmed by the continuous mood swings that plagued their emperor. All they could do was stand in silence, hoping that they did not catch his attention and that their business on the small planet would be over soon.

. . .

Gohan shielded his eyes as intense light continued to radiate in front of him. What was happening? Where they under attack? No, that did not seem to be the case. He had not sensed any energy signatures close by other than those of his own teammates. The light was not hurting them, either, confirming his suspicions that it was not an offensive strike. He struggled to remain rooted to the spot as the wind rushed against him, his long hair flowing behind him even as he fought for balance and failed to maintain it. A moment later a hand rested on his shoulder, helping him keep his footing as the winds continued to blow all around them. He did not need to look around to know that it was Piccolo who stood behind him, and he was grateful for his help. Returning to his original train of thought, he wondered what had caused such a distortion to occur and mentally groaned at their bad luck. Frieza was sure to see the sudden emergence of the glowing orb of light, and he would immediately head in that direction. By the looks of it, any sort of sneak attack they could have come up with was undone and they would now be facing the evil overlord sooner rather than later.

The immense light began to recede and the wind began to calm down. Taking a deep breath, Gohan brought his arms down to rest beside his body and slowly opened his eyes. His vision had become blurred from the sudden appearance of the orb of light, but it was quickly returning to him. Looking in the direction from where the strange light had come he could barely make out silhouettes that did not seem to move. Blinking a few times to adjust his view, he focused once more on the group of people standing only a short distance away.

"We made it!" One of the figures said, a brunette who was a head taller than the others.

"Wait, where's Pluto?" A black-haired girl asked. She turned around as though looking for something and her eyes fell on the group of fighters. Gohan saw them widen slightly as she let out a small "oh" in surprise. This in turn caught the attention of the others and they all turned in the same direction.

Seven figures stood were the light had originated, each one clothed in outfits that held a strange resemblance to sailor fuku. Gohan's first thought was that they were women, but it seemed wrong to call them that. They looked quite young, but they did not seem like girls, either. Where they aliens? Whatever they were, something about them did not seem right to him. He focused his senses in their direction, hoping to get a feel of how strong they were, and was surprised when he barely felt a signature from any of the figures. His heart began to race. Something was wrong here, he was sure of it. There was something off about the group of people standing a few feet ahead of him, and he was almost sure that they were each hiding their true power, waiting for the right moment to attack.

Piccolo quickly moved to Gohan's side, the namekian standing casually as he gazed towards the strange group of people. But Gohan knew that Piccolo was merely concealing his true intentions as he secretly planned the next move. Each one of the new faces looked at him and the others, and Gohan and his friends each stared back. The new group was mostly silent as their eyes flowed from one person to another. They looked first at Piccolo, as though they had never seen anything like him before, and then to Vegeta, who had come to stand on Gohan's other side and was glaring back at the group with a frown. One of them, a blue-haired girl, looked down at Gohan and he felt himself become tense as her eyes lay on him.

"Who are you?" He heard Piccolo ask the strangers. "What are you doing here?"

Gohan saw the blue-haired girl's eyes go wide and she nudged the girl standing next to her, one with blonde and overflowing hair that was tied it up in two small buns. Said girl turned to Gohan, and when the blue-haired girl whispered quickly in her ear, her eyes began to move quickly from the boy to Piccolo and back again before widening in shock as comprehension seemed to dawn upon her. At once she broke ahead of the new group, stood defiantly and said: "Get away from him!"

Startled, Piccolo turned to Gohan, who looked back at him in confusion. He turned to the group once more. "What did you say?"

"I said get away from him, you monster!" The blonde-haired girl said, the others moving to stand next to her once more. "Leave that boy alone, or you will answer to us."

Piccolo growled in annoyance, but decided that this was as good a way as any to get answers from the new group that had arrived out of the blue. Whoever they were, he knew for certain that they were not from Earth. Something in their presence seemed too ethereal for them to be regular humans. Where they aliens, then? It did not seem so strange. After all, the saiyans were aliens themselves, and apart from their monkey-like tail they passed of as normal humans. But their energy signature was also very weak, except for the tall brunette, whose signature resembled that of a regular martial artist. Piccolo frowned. Nothing was adding up, and thinking about it further only served to delay the inevitable. In any case, he was not about to drop his guard. If they were indeed from outer space, then even with the weak energy signatures they would surely still be a serious threat to them.

And if his current suspicions proved to be true and the new group was working for Frieza, then that made them all the more dangerous.

He turned to the blonde-haired girl, who seemed to be the leader of the group. "Who are you?"

The girl turned to the others standing next to her and they all nodded at once. She brought her hands up and Piccolo readied himself for an energy blast. Instead, the girl closed her hands so that only her index finger and her pinky remained stretched out. "We are they sailor senshi," she cried out, striking a pose. "And I am Sailor Moon. And in the name of the moon, we shall punish you!"

Silence followed her statement as the fighters looked on in amazement. Gohan would have laughed at how ridiculous the situation seemed but he was momentarily stunned. His mind reeled as he was suddenly hit with a strong sense of déjà vu, the familiarity of the moment eerily resembling one that had occured not so long ago. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest as his thoughts turned to another group of fighters whom they had faced before. They had also struck poses and were overly flamboyant in their antics. _They're just like the Ginyu Force_, he thought in panic. Had Frieza really managed to assemble a new fighting force in such a short amount of time? If so, then he knew that this new team was not to be taken lightly. But just how strong could they be?

"Pathetic," Vegeta said, shaking his head in dismay. "Now look here," he added to the new group, "I'm feeling strangely generous at the moment, so I advice you to leave now while you still can. We have important matters to attend to and I don't have time to waste on any more stupid girls." He eyed the blonde-haired girl. "Especially ones who strike poses as ridiculously as you do."

The black-haired girl reeled back before her eyes narrowed. "Who's he calling stupid?"

"The only stupid and pathetic person here is you." Another blonde-haired girl - this one with bright amber eyes - said, sticking her tongue out at Vegeta. "Just look at that haircut. Could it be any worse?"

"We know what you're trying to do," Sailor Moon said, "and we were sent here to stop you once and for all."

Gohan's eyes shot open. _So they _are_ working for Frieza_. He heard Piccolo gasp and realized that he had also reached the same conclusion. The entire situation had gone from bad to worse. Not only did they have to face Frieza, but a whole new and even bigger team of fighters, as well.

Vegeta, who for some reason seemed unaware of the danger that stood in front of him, narrowed his eyes as he let out a growl. "You're starting to get on my nerves. One would think that weaklings like you would know when to quit." He raised his arm and stretched out his hand so that his palm was facing the group of girls. "This is your last chance to run. Leave now or you'll be vaporized."

"I wouldn't underestimate us if I were you." The brunette said, taking a step forward in defiance. She lowered herself into a fighting stance, her eyes acquiring a sharper look as they remained on Vegeta. "We're a lot stronger than you seem to think we are, and we won't lose to the likes of you."

Vegeta merely smirked. As if such an empty threat would be enough to make him back down. He was the prince of saiyans, and he would not lose face to a pathetic group of girls. This one's fate was sealed, and if the rest of them also had a death wish, he was only too happy to oblige.

A small orb of energy began to gather in his palm and he chuckled. _This will be short work. _He thought._ I doubt any of them will survive even a small blast._

The brunette's words rang in his mind for only a moment before he pushed them away.

The prince of saiyans loosing to a girl; yes indeed, that would be the day.


	7. The Battle Begins

Here's another quick update to the story. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Only fifty seconds had passed since they had left the Gates of Time and crossed into the new world, but to Rei it seemed much longer than that. Time seemed to slow down from the moment they had arrived in that foreign world until it felt as though it were not moving at all. She would have thought such a thing to be impossible but her thoughts had been preoccupied with other matters. She had spared the missing Setsuna a single moment of consideration before her mind began to buzz with alarm at the sudden revelation that they were not alone. A group of fighters stood a short distance from where they had appeared, and it only took one look at them for Rei to realize that they did not seem friendly. From the green-tinted figure who was clearly an alien (she thought of Ail and An, and the striking facial patterns between the two aliens and this one) to the shorter man who was scowling magnificently, there seemed to be something off-putting about each one of them. It was not so much by their attitude towards them, although in the shorter man's case she would have made an exception. They did not seem aggressive, either, as each one of them, save for that one man, seemed to gaze at them out of curiosity or mild apprehension.

No, it was the way they were making her feel uneasy that was the cause of her paranoia.

She barely registered Makoto speaking and stepping forward, challenging the scowling man with the darkened features. Something was happening within her, something she couldn't quite understand, but she could feel its importance all the same. Thoughts not belonging to her were beginning to form in her mind. She saw brief glimpses of them, broken and hollow, like a puzzle where all the pieces were jumbled so that the picture remained indiscernible. She could hear a faint voice calling out to her as if to warn her, but the crossing of worlds had taken its toll on her and she found her concentration waning. Yet she could feel the urgency of the message, and she struggled to catch its meaning before it disappeared altogether.

"…your last chance to run away."

She shook her head and her eyes widened as she stared at the scene before her. Were her eyes deceiving her? A small, glowing orb had appeared on the man's hand. She would have thought it impossible had she not seen it but there was no doubt about it.

It was made of energy, she was sure of it.

"Be careful, Jupiter!" She cried out. Usagi, who stood next to her, jumped in alarm at the sudden noise and turned to her, eyes wide and mouth agape after seeing what the man had done. "I don't think we should underestimate them."

She saw the green man twitch ever so slightly at her words, but when she turned to him his features were as composed as they had always been. There was no doubt in her mind that he was planning something. She decided to keep a closer eye on him if she could.

Makoto, meanwhile, had remained unfazed by the attack that was aimed in her direction, nor had she replied to Rei's concerns, and the dark-haired girl felt like calling out to her friend once more. She wanted to help her, to face the threat together, but her instincts were working against her rational way of thinking and it didn't help that her senses, more developed than those of the other girls, were shouting warnings and messages that she didn't quite understand about this new group. She didn't know what her opponents were thinking but she could pick up on their feelings and it surprised her how they were all in tune with one another. They all shared the same do-or-die resolve to get the job done no matter what it took, and she was caught off guard at how overwhelming it felt.

_It's us or them, and they know it. Either we win, or they do. _

She thought, _this is it, _as small beads of sweat formed on her upper brow. Her body had begun to shake as she realized that the time had finally come for action. One way or another, everything was going to change after this battle. Getting to this new world in one piece, it seemed, had been the easy part of what they had to do. It would be the fighting that would prove to be the harder part. And in the end, hadn't she known it would be so all along? Throughout the years it had always been the greater battles that took every ounce of power and determination they had in order to finally emerge victorious and live to see another sunrise. If this was truly to be their final battle, it would take all they had and then some.

But there were so many of them. And to make matters worse, their enemies seemed to have taken a small boy hostage. Anything they did could put him further in the path to danger.

She grimaced and gritted her teeth. What were they supposed to do now?

. . .

Piccolo looked on at the scene before him with rapt attention, taking in every detail of what had happened ever since the glowing orb of light had appeared. Now Vegeta had stepped forward and was preparing to fire an energy blast at the group of mysterious people that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Normally he would have tried to stop him, figuring that they should gauge their enemies before going on a full-out assault. But he knew that his advice would have fallen on deaf ears. He and the saiyan were too alike: too shrewd, too calculating, and too used to operating under their own rules. It made keeping the little alliance that they were currently under difficult, but at the same time they couldn't afford not to work together. The very fate of the planet was at stake, and as arrogant as Vegeta was he was also very powerful. If anyone could hope to stand any chance against Frieza, it would be him.

But now they were faced with different adversaries, ones they had never seen before. To make matters worse, he couldn't get a full reading on any of their energy signatures, so there was no way of knowing just how strong each one of them really was. The fact that there were so many of them was also a problem. Even with Vegeta joining their group that was still only enough for each one of them to take on a different opponent, making them evenly matched. They needed to win, but it was just as important that they saved their strength for Frieza.

There was a tugging thought in the back of his mind - born of his own intuition, he supposed - that told him there was something he was not seeing, something important that he should have realized about their enemies, and he desperately tried to grasp it. If it helped them win this battle it was important that he let go of every distraction and focus his mind on learning its hidden meaning.

"Be careful, Jupiter!" The black-haired girl said, catching everyone's attention and bringing Piccolo back from his train of thought. "I don't think we should underestimate them."

The words, a simple shout of concern, had done more damage than the girl realized, and Piccolo found himself momentarily stunned. He pulled himself together as his mind began to race with possibilities, his concern over analyzing his previous thoughts forgotten with the girl's sudden outburst. He focused on her words, the touch of fear that had been laced into them, and he dared to hope.

_Maybe they're not that strong_, he thought, his eyes moving from one figure to the next. He was studying them, searching for any giveaway sign that his feelings were correct. _Maybe they're not as powerful as I think they are._

But there was also the chance that these new fighters were just toying with them, playing a mind game just to see if their enemies fell for it. The cry of concern might have just been a warning for the brunette not to play with her opponents, to not waste time and to finish them quickly. He glanced at Vegeta, and by the way the man remained unfazed, he thought that to be the case. It would make sense that Frieza would not want to take any chances like he had done on Namek, where he had delayed killing his opponents for as long as possible and had paid for it dearly.

But he could not forget how the girl's eyes had widened when she had cried out to her teammate.

Piccolo frowned. Both cases seemed just as likely to be true, and one wrong move could prove to be fatal. What was the correct choice, and what were they going to do?

He never got the chance to weight out the options. At that moment the feeling in the back of his mind returned, stronger than ever. He had tried to ignore it before, but now it struck him hard, its sudden realization dawning upon him and taking the breath out of him. It had happened in the blink of an eye, yet the warning had been strong enough to leave him momentarily stunned. He knew now for certain that the thoughts weren't his, nor was he imagining things. Someone had tried to contact him, someone he couldn't see and possibly didn't know, for that matter, but in a way he was familiar with. He had used such a method in a similar way more than once, and he was sure it was the same method King Kai used when he communicated with the living. The only difference was the seeming lack of a voice accompanying the thought.

It was a message, direct and simple: _Do not attack._

"Vegeta!" He screamed, causing Gohan to jump at the sudden outburst. "Don't attack them! They're not working for Frieza!"

The tall brunette, hearing his words, dropped her guard and stared at him in confusion. Behind her the other girls were equally astounded, some looking at him in surprise while others kept their expressions unreadable. But he was too late to stop Vegeta, who, seizing the opportunity, finished preparing his attack and released the energy that was gathered in the palm of his hand. The energy beam rushed towards the brunette but before it could hit her she moved swiftly to one side and the attack moved on to the group of girls behind her. They too wasted no time in moving out of the way, their leader (_Sailor Moon_, Piccolo thought, _her name was Sailor Moon_) shrieking in panic before tripping out of harm's way. The attack collided with a crag behind the group and it imploded instantly, the resounding explosion pushing debris and clouds of dust in every direction. Piccolo braced himself as wind rushed around him, his eyes following the movements of Jupiter as she quickly rolled into a counter stance and began to close the distance between her and the saiyan. The air around her seemed to become unstable as she focused her energy, sparks of electricity surrounding her and beginning to gather in her upper temple.

Only Vegeta and Gohan, using their enhanced saiyan vision, were able to see the small antennae that had appeared over the girl's diadem and acted as a conduit for the attack.

"Supreme Thunder!"

If Vegeta's attack had been swift, it was nothing compared to the rushing bolt of energy that now closed in on the unprepared saiyan. He had enough time to realize what had happened before he was consumed in a raging fury of lightning and his body was hoisted off the ground as the attack collided against him. He remained suspended in the air for only a moment before he was sent reeling backwards, passing between Piccolo and Gohan and coming to a crashing halt against a boulder that broke down upon impact. Small chunks of rock rained down on him as he hit the ground, rolled over, and did not move.

. . .

On the other side of the battlefield Jupiter turned in the man's direction. Her mouth hung open as she surveyed the damage her attack had done, from the now cracked landscape where her attack had passed over to where the man lay motionless on the ground. She was at a loss for words and could do nothing but look on in disbelief.

"Wow, Jupiter," Sailor Moon said in complete awe. "I don't remember your attack ever being that powerful before."

Finding her voice, the brunette turned around, her eyes wide and round. "I don't, either."

. . .

Krillin had remained frozen while Jupiter had charged her attack and sent it soaring in Vegeta's direction. Whatever he had expected these girls to be capable of was nothing like what he had just seen the brunette do. She had blasted Vegeta away as if it had been mere child's play, and from the looks of things it had indeed been as effortless as she had made it seem. Her attack had driven the saiyan to the ground from where he had yet to get up whereas she didn't even seem fazed from using so much energy.

Seeing the saiyan lying facedown on the ground snapped him back to reality and he turned to the others.

"Come on, you guys. Vegeta's in trouble. He needs our help."

Without waiting for a response he turned to the group of fighters that stood a short distance away, his feet leaving the ground as he began to dash in their direction. No sooner had he begun to move that a hand grabbed him by the collar of his gi and yanked him roughly back, sending him tumbling to the ground. Mustering as much grace as he could he stood up and turned around only to find himself face to face with Piccolo.

"What's the big idea, Piccolo?" He asked. "We have to stop them or Vegeta's history!"

"No," was the reply he received. "We're not going to attack them."

"What did you say?" Tien's eyes had shot open as he turned to Piccolo. "Have you gone mad, Piccolo?"

Piccolo did not turn around. Instead he merely shook his head. When he spoke again his voice remained as composed as ever. "Trust me. We don't have to fight them."

"What are you talking about?" Krillin asked. His eyes darted from where the group of girls stood to where Vegeta lay on the ground. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know that they're not our enemies." He turned to where Gohan stood and called out to him. "Gohan, go and check on Vegeta and make sure he's okay."

The young boy nodded and took off without a word, landing near the saiyan prince and pulling his body free from the rocks that had fallen on him.

"You're crazy, Piccolo." Tien said, looking at the namekian as though he were seeing him for the first time. "How can you be sure that they're not our enemies?"

"I just know." Piccolo replied, his eyes remaining on the boy as he kneeled down beside Vegeta and proceeded to flip him over.

Tien frowned but remained silent. A moment later they heard Gohan calling to them.

"He's okay." He said. "It doesn't look like he got hurt too bad. I guess he just didn't expect to be knocked off his feet like that."

Piccolo nodded to the boy and turned to the rest of the group. "No one make any sudden movements. Learn from Vegeta's mistake and don't do anything reckless."

"I think he _has_ gone crazy," Yamcha said to the group at large. He turned to Piccolo, a grave look replacing his usually careless features. "So what are we going to do, then?"

Piccolo had opened his mouth to reply but immediately closed it as he turned in the direction of the mysterious fighters. He had told the others to remain where they stood and to refrain from attacking.

The other group, it seemed, was not so inclined to do the same.

. . .

Haruka watched as the small boy moved away from the group and turned to Michiru. "This is our chance."

Michiru nodded, understanding coming easily and instantly. Such was their bond that words were often not needed between them. It was a trait that had proven useful in the heat of battle on numerous occasions before, and this time would be no exception. She turned to the group of fighters and began to focus her energy, preparing her own attack as Sailor Uranus did the same. If Jupiter had been able to take out the man with her weakest attack then the rest were sure to fall under their combined assault.

"Deep Submerge!"

The green man had turned the moment she had released the flow of energy and sent it flying in his direction. Had her attack come before Jupiter's, there was no doubt that it would have reached its target and defeated him easily. But now their opponents had a better idea of what they were dealing with, and rather than risk countering the attack the green-tinted alien took to the air and the attack continued on, the bright blue orb emitting a faint pulse as it sailed off into the distance. The green fighter landed close to the group, well within Haruka's line of sight, and she was not about to let him get away.

After that, many things happened at once. Haruka aimed her attack; the girls behind her gasped in unison; the green-tinted man took a defensive stance; the young boy screamed "Piccolo" and quickly got to his feet; the other fighters each prepared themselves to attack; and a sound echoed through the battlefield, faded away, and all that was left was silence.

. . .

The sound was a voice, and it spoke a single word.

"Stop!"

Haruka froze, her body stiffening the moment the voice had spoken. She was suddenly aware of how strong the energy in her hand felt, the amber orb pulsing slowly as though it were begging to be released. She found herself almost giving in to the thought, and it unnerved her. There was no doubt in her mind that the order to stop would have gone completely ignored if not for the voice who had issued the command. Clearing her mind, she focused on the energy and a moment later it had dissipated into the air. She caught a quick glimpse of Piccolo (the boy had screamed his name, after all) lowering his guard before she turned around to regard Sailor Pluto.

_Better late than never, Setsuna._

The missing senshi found herself enclosed by her teammates, all of them sounding relieved at her appearance. Immediately they began to ask questions, their voices echoing around them as they interrogated her.

"What took you so long, Setsuna?"

"Why did we appear here?"

"Did something go wrong?"

The eldest senshi merely shook her head, and at once the rest of the group fell silent. "Nothing went wrong. There was something I had to take care of before I joined you in this world, so I was delayed a little."

Haruka frowned. "You brought us here with the idea that the fate of all life was in danger. What could be more important than this?"

Setsuna did not reply. She turned to regard the other group of people who were all looking at her in plain shock. Her eyes then fell on the man who lay on the ground. She frowned.

"What happened here?"

It was Makoto who answered. "We were attacked the moment we got here. Those guys over there," she pointed to the other group, "they were already here when we arrived."

Michiru nodded. "They must be the ones we came here for. I tried to attack the green one but he just-"

"We will not be fighting them anymore."

Makoto blinked confusedly. "We won't be fighting them? Why wouldn't we-"

"They are not our enemies."

Silence followed her words as each girl looked at her, each one speechless before this new revelation. Haruka opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again and asked: "What do you mean they're not our enemies? They attacked us! "

Setsuna turned to her. "Would you have done any different?"

Her voice was controlled but Haruka felt the slap of her words all the same. Indeed she was renowned for shooting first and asking questions later. She had always felt justified in believing that her actions were for the greater good and the safety of their world. Now, however, they were no longer in their own world, but uninvited guests in another trying to fight the good fight. Their goal was the same, but this time they were the outsiders seeking to help another world. It reminded her of all the times that she had prefered to work alone with Michiru, only trusting in the girl she had come to love and refusing any other sort of help that came their way, and how hard many battles had been because of that. Even when the entire senshi team had come together she still refused any help outside of their own little group, and that too had caused rifts between the older and younger girls. Trusting in others was hard for her and if she worked alone she did not have to let her guard down. Michiru was the only one who had been able to break through the impenetrable walls of her heart and she had come close to losing her three times already. She could not bear to have the pressure of losing anyone else. Her cold persona was a defense mechanism, she knew that much, one that kept her focused in battle by closing her off from her emotions but also happened to affect the wellbeing of the team.

It was a blessing and a curse, and she was not sure if she would ever be able to overcome it.

Setsuna sighed. She could feel the conflict in the other girl but now was not the time to dwell on such things. She spoke again, her tone surprisingly soft as she regarded Haruka. "I've known you for a long time, Haruka. You mean well in your actions, even if your methods are extreme. I know you will someday be able to trust openly without fearing that you will be hurt in the process." She turned to the group of girls. Rei had expected to see the hardened features the senshi of time was known for, but was surprised by the solemn expression that gazed at them. "I told you all not to do anything in this world until we had all arrived out of safety for ourselves as well as for those of this world. Even though we mean well, our actions will have an impact on this world. Therefore, we must be responsible for what we do. This unnecessary assault could make things more difficult for us, but nontheless, it is done. We must make the best of the situation."

She turned to the group of fighters and began to move in their direction, calling to the other senshi over her shoulder. "Come, there is not much time."

Seeing her going over to them and hearing her words shook Usagi out of her daze and she ran up to the senshi of time.

"Wait a minute." She said, grabbing Setsuna's arm and stopping her. "What do you want us to do?"

Sailor Pluto turned to face her future queen, and Usagi was surprised to see that she was smiling.

"We are going to introduce ourselves to our new teammates."

* * *

Author's Note: These last two chapters were fairly short compared to some of the earlier ones in the story. I really hate submitting short chapters (at the very least I like to write about 4,500 words, or 9-10 pages per chapter), which is why I sometimes take a while to make an update. Other times it's simply way too much happening in real life that keeps me from writing. Regardless, I think both came out as good as I could hope. A special thanks goes to the people who took the time to review the last chapter. While it means a lot to me that you all take the time to read the story, it means even more so that you take the time to let me know what you think of it. Constructive criticism is also welcomed.

I hope you all look foward to the next chapter!


	8. Our Enemy is One

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Piccolo and the others watched as the group of women slowly moved in their direction, led by the new figure that had just appeared. Gohan, who had remained by Vegeta's side, now returned to the others, his eyes never leaving the woman at the head of the group. He recognized her instantly and couldn't help but to stare at her. There they were, the two things that had stuck to his mind and only seemed to make sense in his dreams.

An adorned staff in hand and long, overflowing hair.

_It's her, _he thought, _the one I saw in my dreams. _

Piccolo turned to Gohan, saw him staring at the newest senshi, and turned to her as well.

"That's far enough."

The woman stopped at once, the others behind her imitating her and keeping their distance.

_Good_, Piccolo thought. _It doesn't seem like they want to fight anymore._

Now that they were closer and he could get a better look at them it struck him just how young they seemed to be. They were indeed merely teenagers, and for all their power, they looked just like any other teenager: young and not quite experienced from life. Only their eyes deceived their otherwise innocent appearance. Through them he could see the many hardships they had endured and he instantly knew they had lived through things that no ordinary person was expected to experience. Three of the eight girls seemed older and gave of an even stronger sense of maturity. He shuddered at the thought of what those three had seen throughout their lives.

He turned to the newest figure and addressed her. "Tell us what you're doing here."

"Very well," she replied, "but before that I need you to answer a question." She paused and took a deep breath. "Are you the one who goes by the name of Kami-Sama in this world?"

The others behind her, upon hearing her words, turned to her, shock clearly visible in every face. Makoto's eyes widened as she turned back to the green figure. Had they really tried to attack a god form another dimension?

Their shock, however, was nothing compared to Piccolo's, who was taken aback by the green-haired woman's words. Who were these people, he wondered, and how did they know about Kami?

Coming to, he said, "It's been a long time since anyone's called me by that name." His face became set once more as he continued. "I am not Kami, but we were indeed once considered the same being."

Setsuna could hear the bitterness in his tone, but refrained from asking about it. Instead she merely nodded. "Then it is safe to trust in you. There is not much time, so I will make this as quick as possible." She collected herself and began to speak once more. "If you were indeed once known as Kami-Sama, you will undoubtedly have heard of me. I am the Guardian of Time."

If he had been shocked before, this latest revelation left Piccolo floored. As Tien and Chiaotzu exchanged confused glances, Krillin asked the woman, "What exactly is a Guardian of Time?"

It was Piccolo who answered.

"I heard of her back when I was still merged with Kami," he said, his tone growing cold at the last words. Again Setsuna wondered about it, but she let him continue. "Every Guardian of the Earth is to remain on the Lookout and watch over any possible threats to the planet." He stopped, apparently sorting through old memories, but if they were painful he showed no signs of it. Coming to, he continued. "I was told that there were other worlds, many dimensions that existed separately from one another. The Guardian of Time watches over all those worlds, keeping constant vigilance over all life at all times. Or so I was told," he finished as he turned to Setsuna, who nodded in confirmation.

Behind Sailor Pluto, Rei looked on at the scene half-heartedly and heard the words without paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere, back on their own world in a room in the Hikawa Shrine, where the seven senshi had been told of a new enemy that threatened their world. Setsuna had dazed off for a moment, her eyes moving out of focus as she seemed to become lost in thought. "There are many other worlds than this" were the words she had said, and Rei finally understood what she had meant. Now her eyes fell on the back of the senshi of time, and she grew cold as the enormity of the realization fell on her. There was a pang in her heart as she stared at the older girl.

_Just how old are you, Setsuna,_ she thought. _How old are you, and how much have you really seen?_

Setsuna turned and spread her arms, indicating the girls standing behind her. "We are known as the Sailor Senshi, and as you now realize, we are not from your world. We have come from another dimension to face a threat that has appeared on this planet."

"You mean Frieza?" Piccolo asked.

Setsuna shook her head. "I know not his name, only that he represents a danger to us all."

Piccolo seemed to think it over and said, "You're the one whose presence I felt earlier. You tried to stop us from attacking."

He was surprised to see Gohan turn to him. By the look in his face the boy wanted to ask him about it, but the woman continued.

"Yes, that was me," Setsuna admitted. "I had tried contacting one of the others first but was unsuccessful, and so I tried reaching out to you instead."

Piccolo merely nodded, and she continued.

"In the confusion of their arrival my teammates tried to attack you." She turned to look at the three girls who had faced off with the other group. Makoto lowered her eyes, a faint flush appearing on her cheeks, but Haruka and Michiru merely looked on nonchalantly as Setsuna continued. "They mistook you for the enemy we came to fight. I apologize in their place. We had no intentions to fight you. Rather, we would ask to join with you and face this threat together."

"Hey, it's no problem," Krillin said, feeling perplexed but smiling just the same. "All you did was knock Vegeta to the ground. Between you and me, he's had that coming now for a long time."

The girls could only look on in confusion as the other male fighters, with the exception of Piccolo, shared a laugh at the shorter man's words. Setsuna sighed in relief.

_Good, _she thought._ If they're not that upset, working together will be easier than I thought._

Before she could speak, another voice rose through the terrain.

"And what exactly do you find so funny, baldy?"

The laughter ceased at once. Krillin, who had been smiling moments before, now shuddered as he turned around. Vegeta remained kneeling, but every inch of his face was etched in anger. He stood up and looked at the area where he had been knocked out. He then turned to the group of girls, his eyes landing on the one who had caused him such embarrassment, and his features grew even darker. The brunette, upon seeing him looking in her direction, felt her body freeze as though she had been plunged in cold water. A thin bead of sweat rolled down her face as she looked at the other man, whose eyes reflected all but murder. Rei, seeing how her friend was being affected by the look, turned in Vegeta's direction and glared back with the same intensity, but with far different results. Instead of making him back down, the man simply laughed and began to move in his group's direction.

Krillin was laughing nervously as he approached. "Hey Vegeta, how're you feeling?" His panic rose as the saiyan's cold eyes fell on him. "Funny thing, those girls aren't working for Frieza. We don't have to fight them."

Vegeta growled in annoyance. "Of course they're not working for Frieza."

At his words, all eyes fell on him, each face reflecting a different expression. The members of his recent alliance looked at him in utter shock, while the newer faces expressed outrage.

"You knew they weren't working for Frieza all this time?" Piccolo asked, his voice taking a dangerous edge.

"What, were you trying to pick a fight with us from the beginning?" Haruka asked, her tone also having grown colder as she glared in the saiyan's direction.

Gohan, who had remained silent so far, now turned to Vegeta. "But you saw the way they moved. How did you know they weren't working for Frieza?"

The older saiyan turned to the boy. "What, did you think they were some new kind of Ginyu Force?" When Gohan remained silent he scoffed. "Don't be stupid. The Ginyu Force were Frieza's top henchmen, the best at carrying out his orders. They were so elite that they were practically unheard of from anyone outside of his higher circle of soldiers. You don't replace something like that in such a short amount of time." He turned to the group of girls, seeming to eye them in disgust. "Back when I was working for Frieza I never met such an absurd excuse for fighters, either. I knew the moment I saw them that they weren't working for him."

Piccolo gave Vegeta a calculated look. "That still doesn't explain why you just attacked them, Vegeta."

"I don't need to explain myself to you, namek, but if you really must know, I attacked because they were in our way and wouldn't move."

Piccolo realized that he had been right all along. Vegeta was a loose canon, one who only followed his own rules and considered everything around him expendable. At the moment there was nothing that could be done, but he would be keeping a close eye on him just the same.

"You won't be attacking them anymore," Piccolo said. "We're going to join with them and face Frieza together. It seems like our best choice at the moment, seeing how you're in no condition to fight anyone."

"'In no condition to fight anyone?'" Vegeta began to laugh once more. "You must not know me very well, namek. Do you really think such a weak attack like that is enough to keep me down? I've faced insects that had a stronger bite than that."

Makoto's eyes widened at his words. "Weak attack? That 'weak attack' knocked you out cold!"

Vegeta chuckled. "Of course it did. If it makes you feel better, I'll even say that it almost hurt me."

His laughter echoed through the terrain once more as Makoto bit her lip in anger.

Rei, however, was not above taking the bait.

"You arrogant jerk!"

Vegeta turned to her, beckoning her forward with his hand. "Do you want to try your luck too? By all means, go ahead and attack, but I assure you that the outcome will not be the same."

Rei accepted his challenge, stepping forward and raising her hands. "I've had enough of you, you pathetic-"

"Enough!"

Both teams were surprised by the collective sound that rung on the field. Piccolo stood facing Vegeta while behind him Sailor Pluto had turned to the senshi of Mars.

"The fate of the very Universe is at stake here," she said to Rei. Her voice, which had taken cold tones before, now reached a new level of bitterness that the dark-haired girl had never heard before. "If you cannot overcome such trivial things you have no right to be here. Now stand back and control your anger!"

Rei did not have to be told twice. She returned to Makoto's side, slightly shaken and embarrassed by Setsuna's reprimand, but she did not speak again.

"The same goes to you, Vegeta," Piccolo said. He noticed how the saiyan's eyes narrowed as he addressed him, but his features remained set. It was important that he get his point across. "I know you don't care about this planet or any of us, but you do care about your own well-being If we don't work together we're all finished. I suggest you take that into consideration before you make your next move."

Vegeta glared at Piccolo, his eyes seething as he struggled to keep himself in place. Gritting his teeth, he growled furiously and turned around.

"It makes no difference to me. If you want to work with weak girls who fight in miniskirts then be my guest. In the end I will be the one to destroy Frieza." Turning once more to Piccolo, his eyes flashed dangerously. "But if you ever tell me what's good for me again, namek, I will send you to the next dimension myself."

Piccolo let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. "That's fine," he said, knowing that the discussion was over. Vegeta might one day make true on his promise or he might not, but at the moment it didn't matter.

Turning back to Sailor Pluto, he said, "It's agreed. We'll work together to face Frieza." He extended his arm to the other fighters. "These are Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chaotzu." Pausing to shake his head, he sighed and pointed behind him. "You've all had the pleasure of meeting Vegeta over there." Turning to the boy who stood next to him, he added, "This is Gohan."

Setsuna looked at each fighter, nodding in turn as Piccolo presented each one of them. She did not offer such pleasantries to Vegeta, but when Piccolo turned to the boy at his side she looked down at him and smiled kindly.

Gohan looked up at her and their eyes met. From somewhere in the back of his mind he heard a faint voice call out to him.

_Hello again, little warrior. _

His eyes shot open and he regarded the woman with surprise, but she had already turned to the other girls.

"You've already met the other senshi," Setsuna said, pointing at them one by one. "Sailor Moon is the official leader of the team. Her guardians are Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus." She turned to the two girls who stood together. "Those are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. I am Sailor Pluto."

Piccolo nodded and stepped forward, looking at the mountains that lay ahead of them. As good as it was that they now had more allies, they had wasted precious time fighting amongst themselves. It was time that Frieza could have used to find them, and that would have been the end to any secret attack on their part, probably the only thing that would guarantee them victory in the upcoming battle. Luck, it seemed, stood on their side, and they had not caught a glimpse of the alien overlord or the other strong power they had sensed. Now was the time to strike, while they still had the advantage of concealment and could surprise Frieza with an attack.

"Allright," he said, turning to the group, both male and female fighters. "Let's go."

One by one they began to move, first Piccolo, followed closely behind by Sailor Pluto. Gohan had turned to Krillin for a moment before setting off behind the two fighters. Vegeta remained silent, his arms crossed over his chest as he began to walk in the same direction, yet as he passed by the other girls his eyes fell on Rei and he grinned at her, provoking her once again. The senshi of Mars kept her eyes locked on him until he passed by and followed the others. She scowled at his retreating form.

"Jerk."

One of the other fighters, she thought his name was Krillin, came up to her. He had seen the way she stared after the saiyan prince and decided to intervene.

"Don't let him get to you," Krillin said. "Vegeta's got a huge ego, and he'd die before he admitted that your friend's attack really hurt him. He's just too proud. No, he's nothing but trouble. It's best if you just ignore him."

She would have normally responded offensively, her anger still acting up because of the proud saiyan, but she remembered Setsuna's words. Indeed they would only be successful if they worked together, and much of that depended on how well they got along. It would not be right for her to lash out at someone who was not at fault.

Pushing her negative emotions aside, she smiled at Krillin. "I'll try to keep that in mind. Thanks."

"This might not be so bad," Yamcha said, grinning as he walked up to Krillin and Rei. "We get to work with all these beautiful girls. That sounds pretty good to me."

Sailor Venus saw him smile, saw the way it lit up his features, and immediately felt her face grow warm. She was about to move in his direction and properly introduce herself when Haruka grabbed her by the arm and began pulling her after the other fighters.

"Come on, kiddo," she said. "You can save all the 'senshi of love' stuff for after we're done." She turned around to Makoto, who was being pulled in a similar fashion by Michiru. "The same goes to you."

"But Haruka," Sailor Jupiter complained, fighting against the pulling Michiru. Her eyes returned to Yamcha and they seemed to glaze over. "He looks just like my old boyfriend…"

Michiru rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, Makoto, don't they all?" she asked in mild exasperation, but there was a smile on her face as she continued to drag Makoto after the group.

Ami watched her friends' antics, struggling to hold back laughter. Things were starting to look up for them, and the imminent threat no longer seemed as looming as it had moments before. She turned to Usagi, who had remained by her side.

"Looks like some things will never change," she said. Gazing closely at the other girl she frowned. "Are you okay?"

Usagi did not respond immediately. She remained frozen on the spot for some time, and if there was something bothering her Ami could not see it. It was as though she had spaced out, yet her eyes remained completely focused. At last the leader of the senshi shook her head and turned to the girl next to her with a smile.

"Yeah, I think everything's going to be okay."

They set off together, the whole group moving onward through the open terrain, united by a common threat to their worlds and determined to put an end to it once and for all.

. . .

Silence hung in the air, the landscape deserted as a single figure clung to the wall made of rocks, hanging on for dear life. The figure slowly climbed the ledge and fell on the steady ground over the summit. Breathing came hard, each precious lungful of oxygen seeming to cost more energy and effort than the comfort it provided. After a minute of lying on the ground the figure stood up and looked around. There was no one else up here, the terrain as deserted as the rest of the mountains seemed to be.

She was all alone.

Bulma dropped to her knees and screamed in frustration. "I can't believe those guys ditched me again!" Her eyes strayed to the area where Vegeta had crashed, rocks laying everywhere and the landscape seemingly destroyed by some unknown force. She shuddered as she realized that the cause had most likely been an energy blast. What in the world had happened here?

Turning to her side she saw the path the two teams of fighters had taken, preparing to engage the evil overlord once and for all.

"They think they can ditch me just because I'm a girl, do they?" She stood straight and pulled herself to her tallest height as her hands fell on her hips. "Well, I'll show them what happens when you mess with a girl."

Laughing at how fearful the others would be when she finally caught up to them she hurried on without another word.

In moments the area was once again completely empty.

. . .

Piccolo and Setsuna walked slightly ahead of the group, and Piccolo took the opportunity to speak to the senshi of time without the others eavesdropping. He turned his head slightly to the side to regard her, his voice low as he spoke.

"Can any of you sense Frieza's energy?"

Setsuna shook her head. "Some of the girls have greater and more developed senses than the others, Sailor Mars and Sailor Neptune in particular, but they have never used it to measure a person's energy before."

Piccolo nodded in understanding. That did not necessarily complicate things, but the answer to his next question could.

"Who amongst you would you say is the strongest fighter?"

Setsuna pondered the question before answering. "If she uses her full power, there's no doubt that it would be Sailor Moon. She has faced the greatest threats out of all the girls."

This time Piccolo frowned. He had seen how this Sailor Moon had reacted when Vegeta's attack had headed in her direction. She had tripped and fallen out of the blast's path by mere luck. She seemed to posses little to no combat experience, and she was supposed to be their greatest fighter?

Some of his doubts must have reflected on his face, for Setsuna said, "She is clumsy and doubtful of herself, but do not doubt her abilities. She is headstrong and pure of heart, and she would never give up in a fight."

Her words caused Piccolo to smile. Clumsy but determined were the words she had used to describe their greatest fighter.

_Sounds just like Goku. If she proves to be as strong as him maybe things will work out after a- _

He stopped abruptly, his eyes growing wide. Sailor Pluto stopped as well and turned to him.

"What's wrong?"

Piccolo did not answer. His thoughts were elsewhere as she looked at him in concern. He had suddenly become aware of something, and he berated himself as he realized that it had been there for a while now. How could he have been so careless as to miss it? Just how long had it been there?

Did they even stand a chance now?

He turned to Sailor Pluto. "Is there another fighter amongst you that we don't know about? A Sailor Saturn, for example."

He tried to pass off his fears as a casual thing, but Setsuna heard the strain in his voice just the same.

"There is indeed a Sailor Saturn on our team, but she did not come with us to this dimension." She saw his eyes widen even more at her words and began to feel some of his panic as well. "Why do you ask?"

"What about enemies from your world? Did any of them follow you?"

Setsuna did not like where the conversation was heading, but still she answered. "No. There was one enemy left in our world, but Sailor Moon defeated it. No one followed us to your world." Again she tried to get some sort of answer from her teammate. "What are you not telling me?"

Instead of replying Piccolo turned around, seeking the other members of his team that would be able to sense the presence as well. He spotted Gohan first, the boy standing rigidly in place and seemingly lost in thought. It was enough to confirm what he had been dreading all along, yet still he searched for the others. Vegeta was next, and just like the small boy he stood in place, his hands cuffed into fists, his eyes wide and round. The others were equally frozen in place, each face expressing the same level of fear he was currently fighting not to succumb to.

The girls quickly noticed the change in the other fighters. "What's going on?" Ami asked Tien, who stood closest to her.

The martial artist did not answer, his eyes bulging slightly at the sheer energy he was sensing. Krillin, breaking free of his trance, was the one who spoke.

"Another power," he said, his voice seeming to tremble just as much as his body. He did not notice how the girls looked at him in confusion. "There's a third power over there."

Rei looked at the fighters from that world and shook her head. "So what's the problem? If there's another enemy we'll just take care of them all at once."

"No," Tien said, finally coming to his senses. "This power, it's too strong, so strong that Frieza seems like nothing compared to it."

Minako gaped at him. "You're kidding, right?" When he did not respond she turned to the others, half expecting to be let in on the cruel joke the others were playing on the girls. Her heart sank as each one of them remained frozen in place, and she realized that Tien had not been lying. "We have to fight someone even stronger now?"

"What if it's not an enemy?"

Gohan felt everyone's eyes on him as he looked ahead to the place where the energy was coming from. His gaze was steady, the fear he had felt earlier vanishing as he thought of another possibility.

"What if it's my dad?"

All was silent for a moment as everyone took this in. Krillin turned to the boy, all but daring to hope. "Do you really think so?"

Gohan nodded. "He's the only one who's stood up to Frieza and beat him." He turned to Krillin, his dark eyes shinning brightly with the new possibility. "I think it's him."

"Now that you mention it," Tien said, "the energy doesn't feel like Frieza's. It might be Goku after all."

There was a sudden change in the group, as the fighters from that world all began to think of the possibility that their greatest fighter had returned. For their part, the girls remained confused, but if the others thought that this Goku returning was a good thing, then it was all the better.

"It's a comforting thought, Gohan," Piccolo said, "but we haven't heard from Goku in a long time. We don't even know where he is. There's a good possibility that the energy we're sensing isn't even his."

He hated that he had to be the voice of reason and crush they boy's hopes, but they needed to remain focused for the fight ahead. It would not do them any good to wish for something that was not likely to happen.

Gohan's eyes shot open at Piccolo's words, and it hurt him to see how they looked betrayed, as though he were the last person the boy had expected to hear those words from. "Yeah, but…"

The boy fought to find something to say and then grew silent, the hope he had felt earlier vanishing as quickly as it had come.

Piccolo turned away from Gohan and stared in the direction the energy was coming from. He noticed Sailor Pluto frowning at him and mentally cursed.

_Don't think I liked doing that anymore than you would have, _he sent in her direction. She must have understood, for her gaze softened slightly before she turned away.

Pushing his frustration aside, Piccolo focused on reading the newer energy, and realized that Tien had been right. It did not feel evil at all. However, given all the surprises they had experienced that day, he was not about to rule out the possibility that it could be a new enemy. He thought of the boy's words, and for the first time he was filled with doubt. What if it really was Goku? Should they rush in to help him? Or was it really another enemy they had to face?

Before he could do or say anything, he felt the wind around him pick up. Vegeta passed by, taking to the air and heading off in the direction where the three energies were gathered. Piccolo screamed after him but the saiyan continued in the direction where their opponents lay.

"That fool," he said, his hands forming into fists. "He'll doom us all!"

He turned around, calling to the group. "Let's go. If he fights alone he's going to get killed!"

Rei had watched the saiyan take to the air with as much fascination as the other girls. When she heard Piccolo's words she thought, _That might not be such a bad thing_, but decided against voicing her opinion. Like the other girls, she mentally prepared for the challenge that lay ahead. She was brought back as every fighter from that world suddenly left the ground and began to fly in the same direction Vegeta had headed.

Minako watched them all head farther and farther away and turned to the remaining girls.

"They can all fly?"

No one replied, each one just as surprised as she was.

Usagi turned to the others. "Let's hurry after them. We need to work together."

The seven other girls nodded and together they took off. The other fighters had gained a good distance on them but after half a minute of running the senshi found them gathered ahead, each one seemingly staring off into the sky. Reaching them, Usagi and Minako both struggled to catch their breath. Ami was also panting slightly while Rei looked over below the canyon, where a strange-looking aircraft caught her attention.

"Look over there," she said. While the senshi turned in her direction, the other fighters did not react to her words. Each one remained frozen in place, staring at the same spot in the sky in disbelief.

_What are they looking at_, Makoto wondered, following their line of sight. She was about to give up when she suddenly saw it. Up in the sky, suspended in midair, was a tall figure with horns protruding on its head. Slightly below him was a person with blonde hair, a sword in his hand. Next to him there appeared to be many pieces floating in the air.

In one quick movement the blonde-haired figure placed his hand behind him, gathered energy, and blasted the small pieces into dust.

And so, without the world knowing, came the end of the evil tyrant who had once been considered the strongest being in the Universe.

* * *

Author's Note: So ends another chapter. Thanks again to everyone for reading and reviewing. I hope you've all enjoyed this latest chapter. Until next time!


	9. Welcome Back, Goku!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

The sun was high in the sky over the canyons, the orb of fire beaming down over the cracked and dry landscape and not budging in any direction. A gentle breeze passed over the empty valley, bringing slight comfort from the scorching rays of the sun for only a moment before it moved on.

Piccolo's antennae were blown back and forth as another gust passed by but the rest of his body remained frozen. His eyes had gone wide as he stared deep into the sky where two small dots seemed to remain suspended in midair. To the untrained eye the objects would have been indiscernible but years of training had sharpened his senses to the point where they went beyond normal expectations. He could make out the two beings that remained in the air as easily as if they were standing right next to him.

One was clearly an alien, the segmented body, horns, and tail clearly giving it away. That the alien bore an uncanny resemblance to Frieza only served to further unnerve him. Could this one be related to the cold-blooded tyrant in some way? The power it seemed to posses was enormous, far stronger than anything he had ever sensed before in his life. It was mind-boggling how strong it seemed to be, but he knew it to be true, just as he knew that there was something even more unbelievable hidden in the situation.

There was another power that was even stronger.

His gaze shifted from the alien to the boy that also hovered in the air. His back was turned to Piccolo and he could only make out his clothing, a dark jacket and a long pair of slacks. In most ways the stranger seemed normal, his clothing seeming just as ordinary as the rest of the inhabitants on the planet. Yet there were two things that led Piccolo to believe that this was no ordinary human. The first was the fact that he could fly. Only someone who knew how to manipulate ki was capable of that, and sensing the energy the mysterious figure was giving off he knew for sure that the boy was capable of that and much more. In fact, his high power level came second before the great revelation that was made clear as Piccolo continued to stare at him.

His hair was blonde, and a faint aura of energy was surrounding him.

He had never seen the final clash between Goku and Frieza as the planet Namek awaited its foregone destruction, but he had heard all of the details from Gohan, or the ones that had mattered, at least. The saiyan warrior, seeing his friends destroyed, had snapped with a rage that had never been seen in him before. His energy peaked and surpassed his previous limits as his body was surrounded by a golden glow. At that moment he achieved something that only seemed to exist in legends, a secret that Vegeta had pursued endlessly in his quest to become the strongest being in the Universe.

He had become a Super Saiyan.

The details he had heard regarding the transformation seemed mostly unimpressive, and yet right here before his very eyes stood another being that seemed to rise out of the legends themselves, one of such strength that they stood no chance against him.

The question was whether or not this newcomer was friend or foe.

_We can't take any chances_, he thought, and quickly prepared for the worst.

Beside him he heard Krillin stammer as they all stared at the scene that played out before them.

"Everyone else saw that too, right?" he asked without turning to his friends. "Please tell me you all saw that."

Sailor Mars turned from the spaceship that had caught her attention to the small warrior. "What are you talking about?" she asked, turning to the sky. There was nothing there, yet all of the warriors of that world were starring intently at it. Then her gaze fell on Makoto and she saw the other girl starring off into the distance as well. Confused, she turned to the sky once more. "What do all of you see?"

No one gave her an answer. None of them seemed able to find the correct words to express what they had just witnessed. A few seconds ago there had been a third power in the sky, one that had been even more terrifying than what they had remembered. But in a moment's work the newcomer had managed to defeat it, cutting away at the alien and blasting the remaining pieces as though they were a thorn at his side.

And now Frieza was no more.

"This guy is unreal," Yamcha said, his body shaking all over. "He just beat Frieza like he was nothing."

Sailor Uranus turned to Yamcha. "What? He's already dead?"

Setsuna's eyes widened. Their enemy had already been defeated? How was that possible?

"This guy is too much," Tien stammered where he stood. "His power is enormous."

Sailor Moon turned to the sky. She could not make out anything, but she felt a wave of relief wash over her as she stared at the empty space above her. "Isn't that a good thing? All it means is that we don't have to fight, right?"

"Remember, for all we know this new guy might be another enemy," Piccolo said. His tone was dry as he continued to stare up at the newcomer. "Don't let your guard down so early. If we do end up fighting him we won't stand a chance."

_Great_, Rei thought, her eyes widening in fear. _This is just what we needed. What else can go wrong? _

"Look," Gohan said. "He's coming back down."

They all turned to the vast canyon before them where the mysterious figure had landed. Now that he was no longer in the air the senshi could see him, a teen with blonde hair that flowed with the wind. A moment later the other giant being that had been in the sky landed close to him. Neither of them moved, time slowly ticking by as they stared each other down.

Sailor Jupiter turned to Piccolo. "Are we going to attack them or not?"

"Not yet," Piccolo replied. "I think it's best if we remain here for now." His gaze returned to the two figures. "They're talking. I want to hear what they have to say."

Ami turned to him, perplexed. "You can hear what they're saying from all the way over here?"

Piccolo nodded before motioning for her to be silent. The others all turned to him as he stared ahead, his features masking his true feelings. "That other guy, the one who was with Frieza…he has no idea what he's getting into."

"Oh no!"

They all turned back to the two strangers in the distance. The bigger alien was holding the young man's sword, who had handed it over to the alien himself. In an instant the alien had charged forward and closed the distance between the two, the sword raised high before it came swinging down over the teen who stood defenseless before the attack.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes and turned away. A moment later she heard a collective gasp from the other girls and thought the worst.

"Did you all see that?" she heard Sailor Jupiter ask in disbelief.

"I can't believe it," Sailor Venus replied. "He actually caught it."

Usagi dared to open her eyes and turned back to the scene. Sure enough the teen had caught the blade with one hand, the golden aura surrounding him intensifying as he raised his free hand. A beam of energy shot out of his palm, tearing through the alien's chest and sending it flying back into a mountain wall a short distance away. The alien slid down to the ground, a trail of blood staining the mountainside behind him.

The observing fighters looked on in shock.

"First Frieza and now him," Tien muttered, all three of his eyes wide. "Who is this guy?"

"Whoever he is he could turn on us next," Piccolo said. His voice sounded strong but his body shook as he spoke. "Everyone get ready. That other one isn't going to put a fight anymore, but this guy might still attack us. If that happens we'll take him head on."

No one replied. The warriors of that world simply stared ahead, yet Makoto could sense a change in their aura and knew they had taken Piccolo's words seriously. She turned to the other senshi and saw them looking confused but also preparing to partake in the possible upcoming battle. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the battle as well.

The work was quick and in no time at all another energy beam had been fired, colliding against the evil being and destroying it instantly. A second shot was fired and the strange-looking airship met the same fate. When the smoke and dust had cleared there was no sign of the alien or the ship. It was as though they had never even been there.

. . .

The two groups of fighters stood on the cliff awaiting the upcoming fight. Each one focused their power prepared to deliver their strongest attack and hoping that it would be enough should the new fighter choose to turn on them. Piccolo, who had heard every word spoken between the fighter and the alien, stared at the stronger warrior with a firm expression. While he had defeated Frieza and saved the Earth he was still a possible threat. The fact that he also seemed to be a saiyan made him all the more dangerous. The last time saiyans had appeared on the planet there had been a great clash that had ended with the death of three of his teammates, he himself being one of those counted among the dead.

Who was this guy, and why had he suddenly appeared on Earth?

He snapped out of his train of thought as the fighter powered down and turned around, his eyes falling on the group of fighters and his features growing dark.

_This is it_, Piccolo thought as he took an offensive stance. Beside him Vegeta did the same, and he was once more reminded of how similar he and the saiyan prince were. Neither would hesitate to charge head-on to a hopeless battle. He could only hope that the others were also ready to battle their new foe.

Before anything else could happen the fighter spoke, his words the last thing Piccolo would have ever expected to hear.

"I'm heading off to meet Goku. Would you guys like to come?"

. . .

Silence hung in the air, the new fighter's words echoing throughout the mountains. The fighters had all prepared to strike at once. Now they stood shocked once more.

"Did he just say he was going to meet Goku?" Krillin asked.

"That's what I heard," Tien replied.

"But isn't Goku the one you all thought had come back?" Sailor Mercury asked the other fighters.

"Yeah," Yamcha replied. "He's been gone almost two years. No one's heard from him since Namek. How does this guy know him?"

Gohan turned to the stranger and called out. "Do you really know where my dad is?"

"I sure do," the stranger called back, pointing to his left. "It's in this direction. We can all go meet him together, if you guys want."

The young boy's mouth split into a smile as he took a step forward but stopped as a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to Piccolo, who shook his head at the boy and turned to the mysterious fighter.

_What's this guy up to, _he thought. This new guy had suddenly turned up out of the blue, defeated the strongest being in the Universe, and proclaimed to know Goku? None of it seemed to make any sense. He decided to use caution until he could learn more about this new guy.

He turned to the boy at his side, and sensing his excitement said, "Don't be deceived so easy, Gohan. Until we learn more about this guy we should be more careful."

The young boy frowned. "But you heard what he said. He knows my dad, and he's going to meet up with him."

Krillin nodded. "I know what you mean, Gohan, but Piccolo's right. It all just sounds too good to be true."

"Why are all of you so worried?" Sailor Moon asked. "This guy beat the other two, and he sounds pretty nice to me."

Sailor Mars scoffed and crossed her arms. "That's what you always say. Do you even remember how many times we've gotten in trouble because you were too naïve and believed everything you heard?"

Sailor Moon turned to her teammate, her eyes narrowed. "I'd rather believe that people are good than act like a stuck-up snob all the time."

Sailor Mars took a step forward. "Who are you calling a snob, crybaby?"

"Stop it, girls," Sailor Mercury said, stepping between them. "You're both acting like children, and this is not the time to be bickering between ourselves."

"Oh, let them be, Sailor Mercury," Sailor Venus said, her eyes gleaming as she smiled. "Those two will never change."

"She has a point, you know," Sailor Jupiter said, nodding in agreement. "Even when they get old those two will keep driving us all nuts."

There was a collective gasp as both Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars turned to the three senshi with hands on their hips. "What are you talking about?" they both said at the same time. "She's the one who started it."

"That's enough," Piccolo said, and they fell silent at once. He felt the beginnings of a headache forming and rubbed his temple. Were these girls really the greatest heroes of their own world? The way they constantly bickered with one another he couldn't believe they had actually saved their world time and again. He would have to take Sailor Pluto's word on that matter.

He was about to address the group again when another interruption came.

"There you are!"

They all turned at once, Yamcha growing tense as his eyes widened in surprise. He began to stammer as the newcomer slowly approached the group.

"How could you leave me behind like that, you jerk?"

Her eyes moved away from Yamcha and she became aware of the other fighters in the group for the first time. She stared at them, her mouth agape, before narrowing her eyes and rounding on Yamcha.

"And who are they?" she spat. "Friends of yours I don't know about?"

The man raised his hands in defeat and smiled nervously.

"No, Bulma, it's not like that at all."

"Enough!"

The pair flinched momentarily before falling silent and turning to Piccolo. All eyes were on him now.

"In case you've forgotten," he said, turning to the mysterous figure in the distance, "we might not be safe yet. This new guy is more powerful than Frieza ever was, and even if he did beat Frieza we still don't know who he is or if he's even a human."

"Does it really matter if he's human or not?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "You're not, and you don't seem so bad."

The other fighters of that world shared a look in silence. Makoto noticed but refrained from asking. She turned to Piccolo, whose solemn features remained unchanged.

"Fine," he said at last. "We won't assume the worst for now. I still don't think we should trust him."

"But he knows where my dad's going to arrive," Gohan said. "I think we should follow him."

Before Piccolo could protest Bulma said, "Wait, he knows where Goku is? What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"I think Piccolo's right, you guys," Yamcha said. "We don't know anything about this guy. How are we supposed to trust what he says?"

He was right, of course, Makoto thought. She could understand his concern, but she could also detect a hint of jealousy hidden in his words, one she was sure that only a few of the other girls, Minako in particular, would have picked up.

"You don't trust me, either," Bulma said in a mater-of-fact tone, starring at the figure on the distance as it slowly rose to the air. "I still say we should go."

Her words brought a bout of laughter from the last person the senshi of Jupiter had expected to speak up. She turned to Vegeta, waiting for the smart remark she was sure would come. The saiyan did not disappoint her.

"That's the first intelligent thing you've had to say, woman," he said, his traditional smirk gracing his features for better or worse. "I say we follow him as well. I want to find out who he is."

He had sounded content enough to everyone around him but deep down burned the typical anger that had driven him over the years. The last time he had seen Kakarot the other saiyan had achieved what was thought to be impossible. He had transformed into a legendary super saiyan, his power surpassing Frieza's and, in the process, becoming the strongest fighter in the Universe. While a part of him was glad that it had been a saiyan who had finally defeated Frieza, avenging the genocide of his people and cementing the saiyan legacy once and for all, there had also been a deep resentment growing within him towards the other saiyan. It was he, Vegeta, the prince of all saiyans, who was supposed to defeat Frieza and avenge his fallen people. It was meant to be his destiny to be the strongest being in the Universe.

Yet he had not been able to overcome the evil tyrant and had been forced to rely on the low-class saiyan to do what he could not.

He had spent the next year seeking an answer to his limited power and devoted all of his energy on finding a way to grow stronger. Kakarot had managed to become a super saiyan; surely he, a saiyan of royal blood, would have no trouble doing the same. But how had Kakarot done it? The last super saiyan had existed over a thousand years ago, and any recordings of that time had been lost with the destruction of planet Vegeta. All knowledge regarding the saiyan race's heritage had been reduced to a mere legend. He had no way of knowing how to go about with the legendary transformation.

What, then, was necessary to become a super saiyan?

Becoming stronger seemed to be the obvious answer, and he had journeyed through space seeking planets inhabited by the remnants of Frieza's army in search of strong warriors. All he found were opponents who were so weak that they fell to a simple energy blast. He should have known better; the Ginyu Force had consisted of Frieza's best fighters and they had been defeated before Frieza's fall. Any remaining fighters that still followed him would prove inefficient on his quest for more power.

He then decided on searching for Kakarot himself. The other saiyan, though he hated to admit it, was far stronger than him, and he could use that to his advantage and ultimately become the stronger of the two. He also needed Kakarot to know just what had caused him to transform in the first place. That knowledge was more important than anything else in the world.

After months of searching and finding nothing he returned to Earth in hopes that the other saiyan would have made his way back, but all he found waiting for him was the return of the evil tyrant himself. Frieza had also become stronger in his absence, but that would not stop him from seizing the opportunity that suddenly presented itself. He would be the one to defeat Frieza this time and finally take his place as the rightful ruler of the Universe.

Yet once again he had failed. Frieza had already been defeated, and it had not been Kakarot who had taken the alien down, but a new fighter who had also become a super saiyan.

No. He would not accept that. There was no way that this new fighter could be a saiyan, much less having achieved the legendary transformation as well. He would learn more about this fighter, stare him face to face, and he would put his fears to rest once and for all.

Vegeta's words seemed to put an end to the argument. The mysterious fighter took off in the opposite direction and Gohan was quick to follow behind. The saiyan warrior sped after the boy and one by one the other fighters of that world took to the air.

"Wait up, you guys," Yamcha said, preparing to jump after the others when he felt another body collide against him and cling to him.

"Oh no, you don't," Bulma said, increasing her hold over him. "You're not leaving me behind again. No move it, mister!"

Yamcha obeyed instantly, taking to the air and hurrying after the other fighters.

"Hey!" Minako cried. "None of us can fly, you know. Come back!"

"What are we supposed to do now?" Ami asked, turning to Sailor Pluto and awaiting her answer.

"We go after them," the other senshi replied. "I will provide a means for us to follow."

"Hold on, Pluto. We need to talk first."

The senshi of time remained composed as she took a deep breath and turned to Sailor Uranus. The other girl was staring at her intently, a trait that was common for her, and she could tell by the way the dirty blonde's eyes narrowed what was going through her mind.

"Yes, Sailor Uranus, what is it?" she asked, already knowing what the reply would be.

"Don't give me that peaceful tone, Pluto," Sailor Uranus replied. Her voice had been more forceful than what she had intended and now all the girls were looking at her, surprised at the sudden outburst. All of them except Sailor Neptune, that was. The other senshi had seemed to reach the same conclusion she had. "You brought us here under the impression that we were to face an evil that was a threat to all the worlds in existence. You said this threat was so strong that our victory over it was not guaranteed. How is it then that someone from this world just showed up and put an end to it?'

The other girls had not seemed to realize this and now turned to Sailor Pluto awaiting her answer. The senshi of time closed her eyes. The truth was that she had not foreseen the arrival of the mysterious youth, nor had she foreseen the outcome of the battle that had occurred in the end. Had the boy's sudden appearance been an indirect effect of their interrupting the events of that world? No, she thought, that would not have changed anything. She should have been able to foresee his arrival.

How, then, had his sudden appearance taken her by surprise?

She focused her power on the Garnet Rod, which began to emit a dark crimson glow as the others watched in silence. Whatever had happened to lead to this current path in the timeline, she was intent on finding out.

But try as she might no images came to her. The Garnet Rod would not show her anything of importance from the past, and the future ahead remained a large blank before her eyes. She tried gazing once more into the timeline, keen on spotting any event that would lead to this moment, but to no avail. Looking at the past revealed nothing and she could no longer gaze into the future and see what was to come.

She opened her eyes, her features remaining unchanged. Inside, however, she was full of doubt. Never before had she lost the ability to see the future. What was blocking her out now and keeping her from possibly securing the safety of the worlds?

"Tell us what's going on, Setsuna."

It had been Michiru who spoke. Her words were not accusing but full of concern. She could sense the same concern radiating off the other senshi as well.

"Was this the threat that we came to face?" Minako asked. "Does that mean we don't have to fight after all?"

"I am not sure," Sailor Pluto replied, all eyes on her as she tightly gripped the Garnet Rod. "This enemy was supposed to represent a threat to all the worlds, of that much I was sure. No one in this world was supposed to defeat it, much less as easily as we have just witnessed. Something in the timeline has changed, I am sure of it, but be it good or bad, I cannot tell."

The senshi turned to one another in surprise. Rei was about to question Setsuna's judgment when she noticed the solemn look on the other's face. It was the same look she had seen on the eldest senshi time and again but it was now marred with worry. She didn't know anything about seeing the future but she had a feeling that it was similar to when she saw images in the fire. It infuriated her whenever she meditated, longing to receive an answer, only to have her hopes crushed by remaining as lost as she had initially been. She could understand just how the other senshi was feeling at the moment.

"So what do we do?" Sailor Moon asked, turning to the others. "Do we go home now?"

"Not yet," Sailor Pluto said, causing the other girls to turn to her once more. "We must make sure that all in this world is well before we leave. I am sure that we will receive answers by following the others. For now we remain in this world."

None of the other senshi argued her decision. She turned to Sailor Uranus who nodded in agreement. They were all confused, that she knew, but that would not keep them from doing what they could.

"Everyone come close," the senshi of time said, raising the Garnet Rod above her. The faint aura that had surrounded them during their crossing of worlds reappeared around them and slowly took them to the air. Usagi, Minako, and Ami let out a squeal as they left the ground and began to follow in the direction the other fighters had taken.

_Let us hope that all is well_, Setsuna thought as they moved. _Let us hope that my fears prove to be incorrect._

. . .

Flying high in the sky the youth watched as the terrain below him quickly sped away. He checked his watch, confirmed the coordinates on it, and saw the spot he was searching for ahead of him. Turning on his side he looked behind him. Sure enough, the others were following him, with Gohan at the head of the group. The image brought a smile to his face, one of the few he had allowed himself to indulge in for the last few years. Did it really surprise him that his future mentor was the first one to come after him?

He began his descent, landing in the open terrain and turning just in time to see the boy's feet touch the ground. For a moment their eyes locked as they starred at each other in silence. Then the moment was gone and the other fighters landed next to the boy. He had to admit, staring at the whole group as they stood together, that even knowing the fate that awaited them three years from now they still seemed like a force to be reckoned with.

Silence followed their landing as he stared at the other fighters and they stared back. When it became apparent that no one was going to say anything he decided to break the ice. Reaching into his jacket he brought out the familiar box his mother had given him and found the desired capsule. Pressing over its top he dropped it to his side and waited until the puff of smoke cleared. He saw the others grow tense as he knelt next to the small unit and pulled the front hatch open. Turning to the others he offered them a smile.

"Who's up for a drink?"

. . .

The question had been followed by more silence as the fighters starred in disbelief. Then Bulma crossed the distance between the group and the mysterious youth and knelt next to the unit, followed closely by Gohan.

"Hold it, you guys," Yamcha said. "We should be careful around this guy."

"Relax, Yamcha, it's just a couple of sodas," Bulma replied with a dismissing wave of her hand. "He's even got root beer in here. How cool is that?"

"Orange for me," Gohan said, searching for his favorite soda and quickly finding a can. It seemed as though half of the small refrigerator was filled with orange soda. He opened the can, took a deep sip, and exhaled happily. "That hits the spot," he said, turning to the newcomer with a smile. "Thanks a lot."

The older teen nodded, and one by one the other fighters moved closer and took a drink. Only Piccolo and Vegeta hung back, but if it offended the mysterious fighter he showed no signs of it.

"We can wait here until Goku arrives," he said. "He should be landing in about two hours."

"How do you know my dad?" Gohan asked. "And how do you know he's going to land here? Did he tell you?"

"No, I've never met your dad," the other youth said, careful not to let Gohan's name slip. "I've just heard about him."

Piccolo noticed how he neglected to answer Gohan's other question but since the boy did not seem to notice he decided to remain silent. Until he was sure he could read the other guy correctly discretion would have to be the better part of valor.

Bulma, meanwhile, was staring at the teen's jacket. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

"You have our logo," she said, pointing to his sleeve when the others stared at her in confusion. "The Capsule Corp. logo, that is. Only technicians working for us have this. Are you one of our employees? You look too young to be hired."

"No, I don't work for Capsule Corp.," the new fighter said. "This is just something I like to use from time to time. I'm more of a fan, really."

"Oh, is that so? Well, if you want a job working for us it shouldn't be a problem. I mean, you did save the world, after all. Tell me your name and I'll recommend you to dad."

The other teen remained silent as he lowered his gaze and shifted uncomfortably.

"I can't tell you that. I know it's weird, but I can't."

All eyes were on him now. Piccolo was staring at him intently while a short distance away Vegeta's eyes narrowed even more. The other fighters seemed surprised by his secrecy but did not comment on it, and he let out an internal sigh. Maybe things wouldn't be so difficult, after all.

"When you defeated Frieza you were a super saiyan, weren't you?

The youth momentarily froze, his drink slipping out of his hand for a fraction of a second, but he caught it quickly enough that only Vegeta and Piccolo noticed. Both seemed to react in an eerily similar manner to his slip up and he cursed his bad luck. These were the questions he was hoping to avoid, but Gohan, with his childlike curiosity, was making that difficult. Still, he had to offer the boy an answer, and he decided that he would have to provide an honest reply.

"Yes, I was," he said in a hesitant tone. "As you probably know, that means that I have saiyan blood."

"That's a lie!"

The sudden outburst was expected, and yet it caught the youth by surprise. He turned to Vegeta for the first time to find the other saiyan staring back at him with a scowl.

"So you're a saiyan, huh? Well, since you won't tell us your name you can at least show your prince some respect and give me your father's name."

The boy remained silent, no longer daring to meet Vegeta's gaze.

"No? Very well, then, where were you born?"

Still the teen would not say anything. Vegeta glared at him, his expression turning into one of triumph, and even then, Gohan noticed, it seemed as though he were still scowling.

"Listen well, boy. Kakarot and I are the only saiyans still alive, and since you are not my son that would make you his. That little runt over there," he motioned to Gohan, "is Kakarot's only son. Now unless Kakarot has been keeping you a secret from everyone he knows that would make you a liar. I will only warn you once, do not make me angry. Now tell us who you really are!"

The threat, enough to rattle any of the other fighters, was all but lost on the youth, who only turned his gaze away with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

"What are you up to?" the saiyan prince asked, but the reply that followed was not the one he wanted.

"That's enough, Vegeta."

The saiyan turned to Piccolo, his scowl intensifying. "I thought I warned you, namek."

"We can trust him for now," Piccolo said. "Frieza's gone, so there's no need to fight. You can wait here or you can leave. Either way, no one will try to stop you."

Vegeta said nothing. He clenched his teeth and growled before moving to a protruding rock formation where he sat down, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

Piccolo turned to the new fighter. "You said Goku would arrive in two hours?"

The youth nodded. "Yes, he should arrive around that time."

The namek nodded and moved away from the group. Questioning this new fighter was an exercise in futility. It was obvious to him that the boy wanted to speak with Goku. Otherwise he would not have bothered to come out here and wait for his arrival. He would feign innocence until Goku arrived and then, once the two had their talk, he would make sure to pay very close attention to what the boy had to say.

The teen stared after Piccolo for a moment before his attention became focused on a group of people that landed between the fighters, the faint aura surrounding them disappearing as they touched the ground. It was a group of girls, he realized in surprise. But who were they? His mother hadn't mentioned a group of girls being part of the Earth Special Forces, and yet he had seen them with the other fighters after his battle with Frieza. Their energy levels seemed to be extremely low, too, barely above a regular human signature, and yet they had managed to fly out here.

Krillin stepped towards the new group. "Hey, you finally made it," he said in a cheerful tone. "For a second I thought you girls wouldn't come. What took you so long?"

"Maybe it was the fact that we can't fly!" Minako yelled, wiping the smile from the shorter man's face and leaving him stammering where he stood. "That's the second time you ditch us by flying away. Do you have any idea how annoying it is?"

"Calm down, Sailor Venus," Makoto said, placing a hand on the other senshi's shoulder. "They didn't do it on purpose. And besides, we're here now."

The senshi of Venus turned to her and after some consideration nodded. She turned back to Krillin, who shrunk back. "She's right," she said, letting out a sigh in annoyance. "I hate it when she's right. Anyways, I'm sorry about that."

_Why do I always get stuck with the crazy girls_, Krillin thought, but he shook his head and said, "It's all right. I remember when I couldn't fly back in the day. Those were some tough times." Quickly deciding to change the subject he added, "Why don't you all get comfortable?" He pointed to the small unit behind him. "We have sodas, and we need some way to pass the time until Goku arrives. The more the merrier, I always say."

Usagi, not waiting for a second invitation, made her way to the small fridge. "You guys have to see this," she said, opening a can of grape soda. "I've never seen such a great selection."

"That's what I thought, too," Gohan said, taking another sip of his drink.

"Honestly, Sailor Moon, could you not think with your stomach for once," the senshi of Mars said, biting back a groan. "Leave that alone before you finish all the drinks in there."

"It's alright," the newcomer said, having moved to a broken boulder and sitting over its remains. "I brought them with me so we could have some drinks while we waited. You can have as many as you want."

Now that she was closer to him Sailor Mars could see the other teen better than she had before. His hair was a strange lavender color with short bangs that fell over his dark eyes. She could also see that he was just as well built as the other fighters. It made her wonder if everyone in that world was in such good conditioning. From his tone he seemed rather nice, but there was something about him that seemed off to her. She didn't know why but her intuition was telling her that there was more to him than what her eyes could see. Whatever the reason for her doubt she decided that she would keep a close eye on him.

Her other companions, however, did not seem as reserved of the newest fighter.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel rather thirsty," Sailor Venus said, reaching into the small unit and pulling the first drink that she could find. She took a deep sip as she walked towards the other teen, sitting next to him and taking a deep breath in contentment. "We're the sailor senshi, by the way. You can call me Sailor Venus. What's your name?"

Haruka shook her head and sighed. "Pretty forward, isn't she?" she mumbled to Michiru, who placed her hand over her mouth and laughed.

The other teen cringed slightly and turned away, a faint blush appearing on his face. For a moment Minako praised her luck, but then he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I know it's weird, but I can't tell you my name."

"Yeah, we already tried asking him," Yamcha said, catching the attention of Rei and the offended Minako. "All he's told us is that Goku would arrive here two hours from now. It's pretty much the only thing he's said. He won't tell us his name or anything else about him."

Setsuna turned to the teen, her suspicion becoming more intrigued. The lack of information was not much of a cause for doubt, but the way he openly tried to avoid anyone's gaze certainly was. Her suspicions about him might prove to be correct, but in the meantime she would wait until the time presented itself to learn more about this new fighter.

The other senshi, who had remained grouped together, now broke away so that only Haruka and Michiru remained by her side. Minako, not heeding Yamcha's words, continued pestering the new fighter with anything that came to her mind. The other teen, however, didn't seem to listen to her, and Setsuna caught him glancing sideways towards Vegeta from time to time. It seemed a rather strange thing to do, but she did not mention it to the other senshi by her side.

Makoto had moved closer to Tien and was talking with him, with Chiaotzu and Yamcha standing close by, and Minako, unsuccessful in her attempts with the other teen, joined her as well. Yamcha turned to Sailor Neptune and offered her a smile but it quickly faded as his eyes fell over the taller Sailor Uranus, who glared in his direction before turning away.

Rei and Ami approached Sailor Moon, and while the senshi of Mars tried in vain to yank their leader away from the small refrigerator, an attempt that only brought about another argument between the two, Ami inspected it closer.

"A solar-powered unit," she said, turning to the lavender-haired teen in surprise. "I don't remember you having this when we saw you earlier."

"He did," Bulma said. "He just hadn't taken it out of its capsule."

"Capsule?" Sailor Mercury's eyes widened upon hearing the words. "You mean a storage device that can accommodate a refrigerator? How is that possible?"

"It's nothing special," Bulma replied. "A refrigerator is the least of things a capsule can hold." She reached into her pocket and pulled one of the small containers, holding it up so that the other girl could see it. "This one's got my hover bike in it."

When Sailor Mercury gaped at her in silence Krillin said, "I don't think they have capsules where they're from, Bulma."

"Oh, that would explain it. Well, I can try to explain it to you if you want."

With that she began to go into detail of the technology of their world, the other girl listening with rapt attention. Tien turned to Sailor Jupiter and asked her about their world. The tall brunette turned to Setsuna, who nodded silently, and with the help of the senshi of Venus began to explain to him, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Krillin about the world they had come from.

Gohan, who had moved away from the fridge as the argument between the two senshi intensified, made his way over to Piccolo, who had kept his distance and seemed to be meditating where he stood.

"Piccolo, can I ask you something?"

The namek slowly opened his eyes and turned to the boy. "What's that?"

"Well," Gohan began, turning to where the senshi of time stood with the others, "I wanted to ask you about that woman carrying the pole."

"You mean Sailor Pluto?"

The boy nodded, and Piccolo pried on. "What about her?"

"Is she really who she says she is?"

"I think so," Piccolo replied. "I had my doubts at first, but I think we can trust what she says."

Gohan seemed to think it over and then crossed the distance to where the senshi of time stood. The woman saw him coming and her eyes seemed to gaze into him as he drew closer. He stopped a few steps away from her, Sailor Neptune's smile offering encouragement while Sailor Uranus's hardened features froze him where he stood.

Sensing his hesitation Setsuna spoke first.

"Is there something you wanted to ask?"

Snapping out of his trail of thought the boy nodded, and finding his voice asked, "I've seen you before, haven't I? You spoke to me in a dream."

The senshi of time nodded. "Yes. I sent you a message a few days ago. I thought it would be best if someone from your world knew about the enemy that was on its way, but I had assumed you forgot all about it."

"I did," Gohan admitted, "at least until I saw you again."

"Wait a minute," Haruka said, her eyes widening in surprise as she turned to Sailor Pluto. "You sent a message to this boy? What good could that have done?"

It was the question that was burning on Gohan's mind but he still felt his cheeks grow warm as Sailor Uranus said the words. Sailor Pluto noticed this and turned to her friend, silently reprimanding the other senshi for her lack of tact.

"This boy is one of the strongest fighters on this planet. Already he has faced threats in this world that parallel those of our own, and he has always given much more than anyone could ask of any warrior."

Both senshi standing next to her looked at her with wide eyes. Then Sailor Uranus turned back the boy.

"What was your name, kid?"

The young saiyan looked up at the other fighter, suddenly aware of how tall she was.

"My name is Gohan."

Sensing his unease, Michiru knelt down to his level and offered him a smile. "Tell me, Gohan, how old are you?"

"I'm six years old," the boy replied. Then, almost automatically, "I'll be seven in a few weeks."

Once again Sailor Uranus stared down at the boy in surprise. He was so young, far younger than she had been when she became a sailor senshi for the first time, and yet he was one of the strongest fighters in that world, something she was sure was not because of his choosing. It didn't seem fair to her that a child would be called to such tremendous responsibility at such a young age.

Snapping out of her trail of thought she heard the boy speak once more.

"But why me?" he asked Sailor Pluto. "Why didn't you try appearing to Piccolo or one of the others?"

"Because none of them would have believed what I had to say," the senshi of time told him. "Piccolo and Vegeta would not have been as trusting, and none of the other fighters would have believed it was real. You were the only one who would have heeded my words, and so I chose you."

The boy thought it over and nodded silently. He turned to her once more and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for helping us," he said, and then turned back to where the namek stood. The answer made sense, and yet he had a strange feeling that it was not the real reason why he was the one who had been contacted. In any case, it was no use pondering over the matter. The woman would not give him any other answer and thinking about it too much would do him no good. Besides, he still needed to talk to Piccolo about another thing he had been wondering about for some time, and he knew that at least Piccolo, unlike the woman, would answer him truthfully.

Setsuna watched the boy walk away, a small smile on her face as he returned to where the namek stood, but it disappeared as she turned to the other boy that sat a short distance away. The older teen had not spoken since offering the senshi something to drink, and she knew he would not indulge any information to them or any of the other fighters. It seemed that his words would be only for Goku. She would have to wait patiently until the boy's father returned.

Maybe then she would receive answers to the burning questions on her mind.

. . .

Water poured into the kitchen sink as Chi-Chi washed another set of plates for the third time in the last hour.

Her father had excused himself once Gohan had flown away, not wanting to be the one to incur her "righteous fury", or so she called it. And so, without anyone to vent out to and nothing else to do, she had turned to the dishes she had cleaned moments ago.

_Just wait until that boy gets home_, she thought, furiously scrubbing the plate in her hands and ignoring as it began to scratch away its adorned surface. _Just who does he think he is, leaving the house to go spend time with Krillin when he should be studying?_ _He's just as bad as his father._ _If he thinks he's getting out of studying that easy, he's got another thing coming._

In the end, she thought, she would have the last laugh. She turned to the corner of the room, where the new study equipment she had bought awaited the boy's return. It had cost a small fortune but it would be more than worth it once Gohan began to take his studies to a whole new level. Once he got home she would hook him to the machine, and woe be it to him if he complained.

_A mother always knows best_, she thought with a smile as she began to hum in contentment.

. . .

Silence hung in the air as time slowly ticked by, the fighters having grown quiet after the first hour had passed. Curiosity about learning more of each group had come to a halt as they realized that not much could be summed up in an hour, and one after another they had all grown silent as the end of the two hours drew nearer.

"Maybe this guy's wrong," Yamcha said in a low voice to Tien, who, along with Makoto and Minako, turned to him. "Maybe Goku's not coming back, after all."

Unfortunately for him, Bulma was also sitting close by and heard him.

"He said Goku would arrive in two hours, right?"

"Yeah, that's what he said."

"Well, how long has it been?" she asked, her voice adopting a dangerously sweet tone.

Yamcha cringed, realizing too late that he had walked right into her trap. But he knew better than to feign ignorance. That would only make things worse. Taking a deep breath, cold sweat breaking out on his face, he said, "It'll be two hours in ten minutes."

"So what are we going to do?"

For a moment Yamcha couldn't speak. Then, in a strangled voice, he managed to meek out, "Wait another ten minutes?"

Bulma smiled. "There's a good boy."

"And I thought Chi-Chi was the one with the short fuse," Krillin muttered. "No offence, Gohan."

The boy merely shrugged in silence while Bulma glared in the shorter man's direction.

"What was that, Krillin? You want to try saying that one more time?"

"No, ma'am," the other man managed to say.

"That's what I thought," Bulma replied. She then turned to the boy sitting next to her, who had long since grown silent. "A penny for your thoughts, Gohan?"

Gohan turned to her and shook his head. "I was just thinking about what a crazy week it's been."

"I can imagine," Bulma replied. "Having to fight Frieza again can't have been a very happy thought. Not to mention," she added, eyeing the young boy, "having a crazy tutor in your house."

Her words caught Gohan by surprise, and he turned to her with wide eyes.

"How did you know about that?"

He was surprised to see her smile guiltily at him, hesitating before speaking again. "To be honest, I was the one who suggested that Chi-Chi hire him to tutor you." Seeing Gohan's eyes widen even further she hurried on. "She had mentioned wanting to get someone to help you with your studies, and I thought if you were going to have a tutor you should only have the best there is. Mr. Shu was highly recommended as a private instructor, and I thought he would be the perfect candidate." Closing her eyes, Bulma let out a deep sigh. "Unfortunately, once I dug further into his background, I realized too late that I was wrong."

_You're telling me_, Gohan thought, but he remained silent so she could continue.

"Mr. Shu's not really an esteemed tutor at all. He only takes highly advanced children as pupils and breaks them down mentally so that he can publicly claim the credit for them having advanced in their studies so quickly."

The boy lurched forward, emitting a soft gasp at Bulma's words. "He what?"

"Yeah, I was just as surprised when I found out. It's quite a scandal. He's also really good at covering his tracks. His real agenda isn't very well known, and most of his bad reputation is thought to come from parents who didn't have their children chosen and want to put a blemish on his accomplishments. As soon as I realized the truth about him this morning I tried calling your mother to let her know, but it seemed that by then she had already taken care of the matter, herself."

Now Gohan was openly gaping at Bulma. He had known Mr. Shu was a horrible instructor, but he had no idea that the man's atrocious acts went that far. In a way it seemed right to compare him to Frieza. Both were the same type of monster, causing nothing but pain and suffering to all those around them.

Bulma saw how he narrowed his eyes and, believing him to be angry at her, inched away from him. "I'm sorry, Gohan, I really am," she finished, not daring to meet his gaze.

The boy, seeming to come to, shook his head and sighed. "It's okay, Bulma. I'm not angry with you or anything. I'm just glad he's finally gone, but it makes me mad to think that he can get away with it."

"Well, he won't be getting away with it for much longer," the blue-haired girl said, smiling at the boy. Noticing his confusion she added, "I began to spread the word about him, using the media to expose him for the fraud he is. No one's going to doubt Capsule Corp.'s credibility. He won't be teaching any longer once the authorities start to look for him."

The young boy nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He felt strange, as though he had been fighting something inside of him without realizing it. A heavy weight seemed to have been lifted from him, and for the first time that week he was truly at peace.

"At least I'll be the last one he ever uses a whip on," he said, laughter escaping from him and ringing through the open terrain.

"What? He actually hit you with a whip?"

Both the boy and his companion turned to the new voice, gazing at the girl who had also remained close by and now stood on her feet, staring intently at Gohan with her fists cuffed at either side.

"Well…yeah," Gohan said, surprised at the other's outburst. "I think I have one of the marks on my head from this morning."

Ami, who had been outraged before, now began to shake as her features grew solemn. "That's horrible! A teacher shouldn't hit a child!"

"It's okay," the boy replied. "Really, it didn't even hurt."

"That's beside the point," the senshi of Mercury snapped, causing the boy to flinch back. "A teacher is supposed to support their students and help them grow into better people."

"Don't mind her," Sailor Jupiter said. "She's just really fond of children and tends to get carried away sometimes. Not that I don't feel bad about what happened to you," she added to Gohan as she scratched the back of her head, a faint flush appearing on her cheeks as she laughed.

"Well, I don't feel sorry for you."

All eyes were on Vegeta, who crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed.

"Letting a pitiful human strike you like that. If you were a true saiyan you would have blasted him to oblivion."

"Well, we're sorry not all of us can be a bright ray of sunshine like you, oh mighty prince," Bulma replied in a mocking tone, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the saiyan prince. She had expected him to reply in turn, but instead he turned to her and offered his traditional smirk, only this time it didn't seem marred with his typical anger. It had the effect of making his features stand out, and she felt her face begin to grow warm under his gaze, forcing her to turn away from him without retaliating.

She welcomed the beeping sound that followed shortly after and forced everyone's attention onto the mysterious teen as he stood up.

"That's it, everyone. It's been two hours. Goku should be arriving any minute now."

Immediately the atmosphere changed as all the fighters from that world stood, the senshi doing the same. Setsuna turned to the sky, knowing well enough that she would have no way of sensing if Goku was on his way or not.

Luckily, there was no need. A gasp broke out among the fighters of that world, all of them staring intently towards the sky, and she knew instantly what it meant.

"Unbelievable," she heard Yamcha say. "That guy was right all along."

"Tien," Chiaotzu began, raising himself to the air and seeming unable to finish his sentence.

"I know," his friend replied. "I can sense it too. It's definitely Goku. The signature feels just like him"

The senshi of time tore her eyes away from the sky and turned first to Sailor Neptune, then sought out Sailor Mars. The other senshi were merely gazing off into the distance, but these two had frozen where they stood, the same expression resting on both of their faces. It seemed that both senshi could sense something approaching the planet.

"He's coming," Krillin said. "I can't believe it. His power's phenomenal."

Sailor Jupiter focused her eyesight, letting her gaze sweep farther away into the open sky. She thought for a moment that it would be pointless to even try. Then she saw a small twinkle far above in the sky and realized that the others were right.

"My dad's back!" she heard Gohan scream in joy. The boy let out a whoop, his excitement causing him to grab hold of Krillin, both spinning around and laughing. "He's really back!"

The gleam in the sky grew bigger until Setsuna could make it out. It was a small pod, one that streaked across the sky and flew over them, crashing into the mountains ahead.

At once the boy took off, taking giant leaps into the air as though gravity bent at his will. Behind him was Krillin, the short man keeping up with the boy as the other fighters followed in close pursuit.

Usagi took a running start and turned to the other girls with a smile.

"I don't want to miss this!"

The other senshi followed after her, running towards the place where the small pod had crash-landed. Behind them the older teen also took to the air, following the two groups that moved quickly through the terrain and closer to the crater where the pod now lay.

Gohan was the first to reach it, staring intently at the ship as it gave off heat gained upon re-entry to the planet. His eyes widened as he stared at the large hole created by the pod, the other fighters joining him, Vegeta and Piccolo landing a short distance away.

"Look at the size of that thing."

Beside him Krillin laughed. "Goku better have some airbags inside that thing, huh?"

"Goku doesn't need airbags," Yamcha said. "The ship needs them to keep it safe from his hard head."

The boy laughed, the wonderful feeling overtaking him as he waited for the ship to open and his father to step out. He was finally home after so long. Nothing else seemed to matter at the moment.

The senshi all gathered next to the other fighters, marveling at size of the crater and the ship that lay unmoving within.

"It's gigantic," Sailor Moon said, tiptoeing closer to the crater's edge and staring in awe.

"Look at that," Sailor Mars teased, "it actually resembles your head. Most of it is a giant empty space."

The remark, enough to start a fight between the two senshi, made Usagi burst out in laughter. "That was a good one, Sailor Mars," she said, slapping the other's back in goodwill and causing the other senshi to stare at her in disbelief.

"She must really be excited about seeing this Goku," Minako said, her eyes wide as she stared at Usagi.

One of the senshi suddenly broke out in laughter and it was enough to cause all of them to follow. Setsuna allowed herself to laugh openly along with the other girls, the bond between them feeling stronger than it had ever felt. All thoughts of suspicion seemed to disappear as she allowed herself to momentarily enjoy being a part of the group.

Then the mysterious teen landed next to Usagi, and the change happened instantly. At once her guard was back up and she glared in his direction, causing him to leap backwards and land a short distance away. Savior or not, she had no knowledge of him, and she would not jeopardize her queen's safety for anyone.

From where he stood, Piccolo watched the confrontation in silence. He saw the teen move away from the senshi and land a few feet away from him and Vegeta, and he turned back to the other group, his eyes locking with those of Sailor Pluto. The senshi of time did not gaze at him with open hostility, yet he could feel her precaution radiating off of her. Nodding in her direction, he turned his attention back to the small pod as it slowly began to open.

The front hatch lowered towards the ground, landing with a soft thud as the steam around it seemed to vanish. A human hand reached out for its ledge, grabbed hold, and the face they had all yearned to see popped out of the ship, taking a deep breath of fresh air and lowering himself from the pod.

The fighters began to cheer, the boy's voice being the loudest among them.

His father had returned.


	10. Mystery Revealed

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Goku had barely risen to the air when he felt five bodies collide against him. Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu had all moved at the same time, crashing against the saiyan and enveloping him in a group hug as they cheered his return. They laughed as they hovered in the air, with Goku trapped somewhere between all of them, happy that their friend had returned, but in none of them was this joy greater than it was in Gohan. For almost two years the boy had patiently awaited his father's return, longing for the day when he would finally come home after their adventure on Namek. Now that day had finally come, and his family was complete once more.

Setsuna watched as the group of warriors slowly returned to the ground, and after many more shouts of joy, the others moved away and her eyes fell on Goku. It was still strange for her to see him as an adult. The last time she had kept constant watch over this world Goku had only been a small boy, riding through the skies on a cloud without a care in the world. Many years had obviously passed since those days, and Setsuna had long since kept from pouring over every single detail when she watched over the different worlds through the Gates of Time. The man before her had higher cheekbones than the child she remembered, and he had grown much taller over the years. His dark eyes had gained a new intensity but retained the warmness they had held in his youth, and his hair still shot out in each direction, seeming as untamable as it had been when he was young. In a way he had grown so much, yet had remained just the same. The thought was further evidenced by the lopsided smile that now graced his features and convinced her that he was indeed the same boy she had watched from afar in a time that seemed long ago.

"It's great to see you all," she heard Goku say as he moved closer to his friends. His gaze shifted to the lavender-haired teen first, then to where the sailor senshi stood apart from the others. "Wow, look at all the new faces. I didn't expect so many people to be waiting for me."

Bulma smiled. "What can we say? You're a popular guy, Goku."

"But how did you all even know that I was going to arrive here?"

"This guy told us," Bulma said, jabbing her thumb to the teen that stood next to her. "I think he might be a secret fan of yours. He knows all about you, Goku."

From somewhere behind her, Setsuna heard Minako state to Makoto in a low voice, "I want to be his fan, too." Imagining the girl's love-stricken features, the senshi of time could only sigh inwardly and shake her head.

Meanwhile, Goku was staring at the new fighter Bulma had pointed out. Setsuna saw his brow crease as he frowned and became lost in thought. After some time he shook his head.

"That's impossible. I don't have any memory of ever meeting him."

"Yeah, that's the same thing he told us," Bulma said. "I think he might have been tracking your ship in space, though. He knew where you were going to arrive and the exact time you would be landing."

From where he stood, Piccolo noticed the teen shift uncomfortably at Bulma's words. She had probably nailed that suspicion dead on, but just how the teen had known where Goku would be landing did not seem as important anymore. It was the message that he would give Goku that was the focus of Piccolo's attention, and sensing that the time to hear the truth was near he remained silent, letting the scene before him play out uninterrupted.

Goku seemed to ponder Bulma's words before saying, "I don't know. Frieza tried to do that, but I don't know how successful he was. I could sense his energy as his ship passed mine, though." Coming to, he turned to the others and asked, "But what happened here, guys? Who defeated Frieza? Was it Piccolo? Or did Vegeta do it?"

While the latter merely growled in frustration, Piccolo said, "Neither of us did." His eyes trailed towards the teen. "It was him. He did it with ease. He turned into a super saiyan and picked Frieza apart."

At Piccolo's words, Goku's eyes widened even more. He stared at the lavender-haired teen in disbelief, his mouth eventually splitting into a wide grin. "That's incredible! Imagine being able to become a super saiyan at his age. You must be the youngest one ever."

The teen merely lowered his gaze, his cheeks seeming flushed as all eyes turned to him. It was remarkable, Setsuna thought, how much this timid fighter seemed to contrast with the one that had defeated the two aliens earlier that day. Had she not seen him before she would not have believed them to be the same person. His reserved attitude made her wonder just which side of him that they had seen, if any at all, was truly a part of his character. His constantly changing demeanor was all the more reason to keep a close eye on him, but she decided against pursuing the subject. Now that Goku had returned the teen was sure to finally reveal whatever cryptic message he had been harboring all this time. If he would not speak of it freely, then perhaps she would be able to persuade Goku once the message had been passed. Until then, she would have to wait for the opportunity to present itself.

Pushing her trail of thought aside, she focused on the scene before her just as Goku spoke once more.

"So what's your name?"

"Don't bother asking him," Yamcha said, not bothering to hide the annoyance that crept into his tone. "We tried, but he wouldn't tell us. All he's said so far is that you would be landing here."

If this seemed suspicious to Goku, he did not show it, and his smile remained as wide as ever as he turned to the teen. "Well, if he says he's a super saiyan, then I believe him."

"Honestly, Kakarot, do you ever use your brain?"

Vegeta moved forward from where he stood near Piccolo, nodding towards Goku. "Need I remind you that you, your son, and I are the only saiyans left? There's no way he could be one of us. He can't have saiyan blood, it's impossible."

"Come on, Vegeta, I'm sure there's a way it could be possible."

"Oh? Well then, please enlighten me, Kakarot, in what Universe would such a ridiculous idea even be a possibility?"

As the argument continued, Makoto turned to Michiru. "This might sound crazy," she said, "but do those two sound familiar to you? I feel like I've heard this somewhere before."

Michiru frowned, not understanding what Makoto meant. She was about to question her when Haruka caught her attention. Turning to the taller girl, Michiru saw Haruka grin as she pointed to her side, where Rei and Usagi were watching the two fighters in silence. Understanding coming instantly, Michiru let Makoto in on the joke, all three girls fighting to stifle their laughter as Goku and Vegeta continued their argument.

The moment was short lived, however, as the lavender-haired teen motioned towards Goku to catch his attention.

"Goku, could I have a word with you in private?"

Immediately the atmosphere surrounding the group changed. Piccolo and Setsuna stood at attention, neither one aware that they were both thinking the exact same thing.

It was time.

Goku agreed to the teen's request against his friends' protests, and followed after the other fighter as he took to the air and landed a considerable distance away, well out of earshot and the chance of anyone eavesdropping on them. Setsuna cursed her luck. From where the two fighters had landed the teen stood facing her, but the distance was far too great for her to even attempt to read his lips or guess at his words. She turned to the others around her. They all stood facing the two fighters, speaking amongst themselves in low voices, no doubt wondering why the teen had wanted a private word with Goku and what they were discussing.

Only one fighter did not seem as interested.

Setsuna stared at Piccolo, surprised that he did not seem as suspicious of the lavender-haired teen as the rest of the group. He had turned his back to Goku and the teen, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes, giving the impression that he was keeping to himself. She moved closer to him and addressed him, keeping her voice low as she spoke.

"You can hear every word they're saying, can't you?"

Piccolo opened his eyes and turned to Sailor Pluto, his features remaining unreadable as he slowly nodded. Seeing her chance, Setsuna pressed on.

"Will you tell us if Goku refuses to do so? It could be important."

"You have my word," Piccolo replied. "If it's something of concern I will let you know."

Confident that the information would be passed on, Setsuna stepped back and remained silent, hoping that some betrayal on Piccolo's expression would let her know if she had every reason to be as concerned as she was.

. . .

Goku stared at the teen in front of him, surprised to say the least. No sooner had the other fighter landed that he began to question Goku about his becoming a super saiyan. Goku took the time to gather his thoughts, crossing his arms over his chest as he remembered his intense bout with Frieza mere moments before Namek exploded.

"The first time I transformed into a super saiyan," he began, "I could barely control it. It just sort of happened. It took everything I had to keep my anger under control, but there were times when I felt myself just letting go."

Trunks heard the words and was immediately hit with a strong wave of nostalgia. In another time and place he saw a younger version of himself regain consciousness, alone in a mountain range, only to discover that he couldn't sense Gohan's energy anymore. After minutes of searching that seemed more like hours he found his mentor's unmoving body in the rain, battered and maimed after what had probably been a gruesome battle with the androids, a large gaping hole staring at him from the place that had once been an abdomen. Blood was still pouring out of the dead body, the scarlet substance glowing along with the gentle pulse of malfunctioning traffic lights, but that did not stop Trunks from tightly gripping the broken mess that had once been his mentor and best friend. Gohan had been like an older brother to him; he had taught him how to fight and how to value life. In the bleakness and torment that was growing up in a forsaken world, the older fighter had been everything to him.

Now Gohan was gone. He had left the world far too early, had left behind an incomplete legacy, and Trunks did not have the strength to go on.

It was at that moment, with raindrops continuing to pour over him as thunder rumbled overhead, holding the body of the closest thing he had ever thought of as a father, that something within Trunks snapped. A pressure that had been building inside of him for a long time suddenly seized him, trapping him in its overwhelming grip as he poured out his frustration to the heavens above. His screams became more manic, and his nails tore into his skin as the pressure inside of him suddenly came rising to the surface.

It had not been until much later, once the pressure within him had subsided and he began to pass out from exhaustion, that he realized he had finally become a super saiyan.

Trunks could easily understand what Goku meant. After all the long days of training, of building his power and focusing his anger in his quest to achieve the transformation, he had come to realize that becoming a super saiyan was the easy part. Keeping that newfound power under his control, however, was the hardest thing he had ever done.

He nodded in Goku's direction, his features remaining somber as thoughts of his first transformation lingered in his mind.

"Trust me, Goku," he said, "I know how hard it must have been."

Goku smiled, never doubting that the younger saiyan truly did understand. "Yeah, well, now that I've had time to practice it I can control it."

Those were just the words that Trunks had been waiting to hear. Pushing away everything else he focused on Goku, looking him over and seeming to size him up before speaking again.

"If that's true, then could you show me?"

. . .

On the other side of the cracked terrain the group stood close together as they stared at the two fighters in the distance.

"Just who does that guy think he is?" Yamcha asked amidst the silent crowd. "What's so important that he has to talk to Goku alone?

"They seem pretty serious," Tien said. He could see the lavender-haired teen clearly from where he stood, his lips moving slowly as he asked something of Goku and then remained silent. What were they talking about, he wondered, and what had the teen asked that caused Goku to frown and his features to remain rigid?

A second later Goku seemed to give his response, causing Tien to gasp as the others around him became alarmed.

A blinding flash of light surrounded the two fighters, the wind around them momentarily picking up before blowing away. Tien, having experience with a sudden rise of power, did not need to shield himself like the sailor senshi did from the coming torrent of wind and the wave of dust and gravel that accompanied it. No, it was the power radiating from Goku that had his complete attention and left his mouth hanging open.

All eyes were on Goku, who was surrounded by a familiar golden glow. His once dark hair had attained the same bright hue as the energy that surrounded him, its movement seeming as fluid as flame itself.

"What happened to Goku, you guys?" Bulma asked. "Look at his hair. It's completely blond."

Gohan, who was nearest to her and had seen such a change in his father before, was the one who answered.

"He just transformed into a super saiyan."

. . .

Trunk's eyes had widened upon seeing Goku transform. It had been so long since he had seen another super saiyan that the change had momentarily taken him by surprise. Coming to, he let his curiosity get the better of him as he gazed at Goku, the grim features he had been sporting disappearing as he took in every detail of the super saiyan standing before him with great interest.

_He really does look like Gohan_, he thought, the idea seeming to tug at the corners of his mouth until he ended up smiling against himself.

Seeing this, Goku asked, "I take it you're satisfied?"

Trunks nodded. "Yes. I had forgotten what looking from the outside was like. It's so unreal."

A small grin appeared on Goku's face. "What, you're telling me you've never looked in a mirror before?"

He received no reply other than a scowl, one that seemed strangely familiar to him. It was obvious that there was more to this request than the younger saiyan had let on. Deciding against further upsetting him, Goku asked, "So can I power down now?"

"Not yet," Trunks said. "There's one other thing I'd like to check."

With that, he brought his own suppressed power rising to the surface.

. . .

If Goku's transformation had been a surprise, the young teen following suit was an even bigger cause for suspicion. There was another explosion of energy followed by another trail of dust, and where the lavender-haired teen had been now stood another fighter basked in a golden glow. The aura surrounding each fighter seemed to clash with the other, a silent confrontation in which neither wave of energy was able to push the other back, each seeming to retract for a moment before expanding and clashing against the opposition once more.

Yamcha gaped at the two fighters, their combined power leaving him at a loss for words as a thin bead of sweat trailed down his face. "Look at them," he finally managed to say. "I've never felt so much power before."

Beside him Tien nodded, all three eyes bulging as he continued to measure the two fighters. "What's that guy up to? If I didn't know any better I'd say he's trying to pick a fight with Goku."

No sooner had the words left his mouth that the teen attacked. In one swift motion he had shifted his stance, pulled out his sword, and was charging at Goku, who seemed completely dazed and did not move.

"He's going to slice him in half!" Sailor Venus screamed.

For the second time that day Usagi felt the need to close her eyes and look away, but the act had been so quick, so unexpected, that her eyes had frozen wide and refused to move away from the scene before her. She tried to scream but her mouth seemed to have stopped working, and she watched in horror as the sword came rushing down on Goku.

Then the teen stopped, his sword mere inches from Goku's face. He moved away, letting his sword rest by his side, and Usagi let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Farther behind Usagi, Setsuna frowned and turned to Piccolo, not seeming at all fazed by what had just happened.

"What was that all about?"

"That guy wants to test Goku," Piccolo said. As he spoke, the teen dropped into a fighting stance once more, his sword raised to his side while Goku remained as motionless as before. "This time he won't stop."

True to Piccolo's words, the teen charged at Goku once more. There was a blur of movement, and then he was over Goku, his sword raised high in the air. It came swinging down, seeming to cut through Goku, yet already its wielder was moving, retracting the blade before quickly initiating another strike. Again and again the blade struck against Goku, the act seeming to mimic the teen's earlier victory over Frieza as he deftly commanded the sword and continued his assault.

Finally, he jumped to the air, screaming at the top of his lungs as he brought the blade down a final time.

The moment the attack had begun Usagi had gone cold. Now she seemed to snap out of a trance and began to move in the direction where the two fighters stood. She had only taken a few steps when a hand clasped firmly over her arm, yanking her back and keeping her in place. She turned to Rei, succumbing to the panic she was feeling and seeming on the verge of tears.

"Let me go, Rei! We have to help Goku!"

The senshi of Mars remained silent, her eyes locking with Usagi's, and the blonde-haired girl was surprised to see an expression of bewilderment where she had clearly expected to see horror and dread.

"Usagi," Rei began in a low voice, "didn't you see what happened?"

More than anything else, it was hearing Rei speak her name that caused Usagi to turn around and take another look at the scene before her. The teen had stepped away from Goku, powering down and sheathing his sword. A few feet away from him stood Goku, unharmed and whole, grinning broadly as his hair returned to its dark color.

Usagi blinked a few times, struggling to convince herself that what she was seeing was definitely real. Goku seemed to be in one piece, but how was that possible? She had seen the sword cut through him over ten times. He should have been sliced in over a dozen pieces. How had he managed to survive such a furious attack?

She turned back to the other senshi, all of whom seemed as shocked as she felt. A quick glance at the other fighters was enough for her to notice that the feeling was shared.

"What just happened, you guys?" she asked the group at large.

"Those blows," Haruka said, her eyes remaining fixedly on Goku and her voice shaking slightly as she spoke, "he managed to block them all with his finger. He only used his finger."

"I can't believe it," Usagi heard Yamcha say to Krillin and Tien, who stood next to him with equal expressions of disbelief. "Goku sure has changed."

"I know," Tien said. "He's spectacular. It looks like he's even stronger than that other guy. How did he manage to improve so much in such a short amount of time?"

That was the same question that was burning violently on Vegeta's mind. He had obviously expected Kakarot to have become stronger during his absence and, albeit hesitantly, had prepared himself to face the fact that the low-class saiyan was still the stronger fighter out of both of them. What he had not expected was the obvious difference in their power. He himself had been training nonstop for almost two years, seeking the secret of becoming a super saiyan and surpassing Kakarot in strength. Yet now, more than ever before, the difference in their capabilities had become apparent, and he rolled his hands into fists as the realization became clear to him. For all of his effort and training, Kakarot had managed to remain three steps ahead of him, leaving Vegeta to trail him from far behind.

To add further insult to the injury, there was another power that was greater than his. Another super saiyan had emerged, and it had not been him, the prince of all saiyans, who had achieved the legendary transformation, but a simple boy who had appeared out of nowhere. This new fighter had suddenly shown up unannounced, transformed into a super saiyan, and defeated Frieza, the evil being long considered the strongest fighter in the Universe, without so much as breaking a sweat.

The thought left a bitter taste in Vegeta's mouth. This new fighter didn't seem like a person at all. He was an obstacle, one that epitomized every frustration that lay in the saiyan prince's heart. Indeed, the whole situation seemed like a bad joke. Well, he thought, the joke had gone on long enough. This would be the last time that he would be made to look like a fool by those who were nowhere near as deserving as him. In the end, the prince of all saiyans would be the one to have the last laugh.

Seeming to sense his frustration, Goku turned around, and their eyes locked from across the terrain. Pushing his thoughts aside, Vegeta glared back at him, forming the deepest scowl he could and conveying all of his anger through it towards the other saiyan. It seemed to work, and a moment later Goku turned back to the teen and seemed to continue a conversation with the other super saiyan.

_Just you wait, Kakarot_, Vegeta thought. _Someday soon I'll show you what a true saiyan can do._

. . .

Someone had once said that patience was a virtue, one that allowed an air of grace to radiate from an individual. It was a quality that spoke highly of a person. Through patience, all things could be handled and nothing was left too difficult to overcome.

Setsuna decided that whoever had come up with such a saying had obviously never had their patience truly tested.

Time slowly ticked by as Goku and the teen continued to speak. Every so often she would turn in Piccolo's direction, almost pleading for some telltale sign that would give her a hint of what the two saiyans were discussing. Yet the namek's face remained as composed as ever, his brow furrowing deeper the longer the conversation went on. Not being able to make anything from it, and knowing that she was resigned to continue her wait, Setsuna closed her eyes and attempted to reach into the world's timeline once again. Like before, the future remained bleak and empty, and if it was because of a change to the timeline or if it represented an end to the world's existence, she could not tell. So many questions had risen the first time she had glanced into the empty future, and it frustrated her to know that the only being she thought capable of offering her any answers lay just a few feet away but remained silent to any form of questioning. It was as if fate itself was doing all it could to impede her from gaining the knowledge she so desired.

Catching movement from the corner of her eye she turned to Piccolo, who lowered his arms and turned around. Immediately she saw why; the lavender-haired teen had taken to the skies, flying off into the distance and growing smaller the farther he went.

"I can't believe that guy," Krillin said. "He just left without saying anything."

"No, no, no" Minako cried, taking a running start but stopping as the teen vanished from sight. "Come back!"

"Forget about that guy," Tien told her. Turning to the others he said, "Let's go ask Goku what they talked about."

The whole group moved together, crossing the large expanse of open terrain and quickly running up to Goku, who was lost in thought. As he saw them approach his features cleared up and he smiled.

"Hey, guys," he said. "I didn't hear you coming."

"Goku," Yamcha began, "where did that other guy go?"

"Oh, he said he had to take off. Something came up."

Ignoring Sailor Venus' frustrated cries, Gohan moved closer to his father. "What did he say, dad?"

"Nothing important," Goku said, raising a hand to the back of his head and laughing earnestly as all of the other fighters stared at him in surprise.

Piccolo, however, was not fooled.

"That's funny," he said, "it all sounded pretty important to me, Goku."

The laughter ceased almost as quickly as it had begun, and Goku's eyes grew wide as he turned to Piccolo. "You heard?"

Piccolo nodded. "Saiyans aren't the only ones with good hearing. I know everything he said. So," he added, motioning towards the others, "are you going to tell them? If you don't, then I will."

"You can't!" The words came so suddenly that Gohan took a step away from Goku. "You heard what he said. You can't-"

"I'm not asking you to say anything that would endanger his safety, Goku, but we all deserve the chance to change our futures, too. This involves all of us, not just him."

The words hung in the air, confirming what Setsuna had feared all along. The youth's sudden appearance, her inability to see into the future; it all became clear to her instantly. Something had indeed changed in the timeline. Their sudden arrival to this new world had been a rollercoaster ride so far, new uncertainties looming behind every answer she received. Now, it seemed as though the events that had taken place would only serve to herald a darker time that lay ahead of them.

She saw Goku hesitantly nod at Piccolo's words and focused on the present. It was finally time to learn just what fate the future held.

. . .

The next minutes were spent listening to Goku as he retold the mysterious youth's grave message. Every now and then he would stop to gather his thoughts, in which time Piccolo would continue the tale. No one else spoke, first out of curiosity of what words had been exchanged, but as the story went on a disturbing silence fell over the group as the true meaning of the message became clear. In no time the story had been retold, the heavy silence remaining in the air as everyone struggled to process what they had just heard.

"That's it, then," Piccolo said once he felt the silence had lasted long enough. "In three years from now all of us are supposed to die in a battle against the androids. Gohan will be the only one of us who will survive."

He turned to the boy, as did the others, all eyes resting on Gohan as he stared towards the ground, clenching his hands and gritting his teeth. Piccolo hated to put him on the spotlight, but it was important that he be able to gauge Gohan's reaction before telling them the next part. He saw Krillin place his arm over Gohan's shoulder, saw the boy smile in gratitude, and continued.

"However, now that we know what's going to happen, maybe we can change it."

There were a few uncertain glances from the other fighters. He saw Sailor Pluto frown as the inner senshi all glanced at one another. To his other side he saw Tien and Chiaotzu looking equally concerned.

"These androids," Piccolo said, "are supposed to bring an end to the Earth and life as we know it, but since we know when they'll arrive, we can prepare to face them."

A faint chuckle reached his ears, and he turned to Yamcha with a frown.

"Yes?"

"Come on, Piccolo, this is crazy," the other fighter said. "I mean, time travel? We're supposed to believe that this guy came form the future?"

He was laughing slightly as he stared at Piccolo, but Minako could see his body trembling and knew the difficulty he was having in accepting the truth. She herself had already gone through the process of denial before agreeing to come to this world.

"I would not take the matter so lightly," Setsuna said. "To navigate the flow of time is more than a possibility. We used similar means to come to your world, and have had a similar occurrence in our own world, as well. I am known as the Guardian of Time for a reason."

Yamcha seemed to think it over, his mouth moving wordlessly in an attempt to retort, but when no words came to him he gave up and lowered his gaze.

"Regardless of how ridiculous this idea seems," Piccolo continued, "there is no doubt in my mind that it's true. You can risk your future, but I'm not taking that chance."

Gohan turned to his father. "Dad, do you think that guy really came from the future?"

"Yes I do, son," Goku said. "I know it's not what we all want to hear right now, but I believe what he said. Piccolo's right. We're going to have to do all that we can to be able to beat these androids."

No one else argued the decision. When it was clear that everyone had taken the message seriously, Setsuna turned to the other senshi. Sending them a silent message, one that they all seemed to understand, she moved towards Goku, standing before him and bowing slightly.

"It seems as though fate has destined our meeting like this, Goku," she said. Dozens of different ideas seemed to flow through her mind, and she paused as she tried to recollect her trail of thought. "We have a lot to discuss with you, and I'm not quite sure where to begin."

Goku smiled. He closed the distance between them and raised his hand so that it was level with her face. "Then maybe it'll be easier if I do this?"

The senshi of time understood. Nodding in agreement, Setsuna closed her eyes and focused on pushing away the deeper thoughts concerning their original world and the private life of each girl from her mind. Letting memories of their battles as sailor senshi and their journey through the Gates of Time linger on the surface, she called out to Goku.

"I am prepared."

Goku's hand rested against her temple, his breathing relaxed as he closed his eyes and extended his energy. Visions of battles and hardships belonging to the other group flowed before him, years of struggle not unlike their own engraving into his mind as they whirled by. After a few seconds he lowered his hand, his mouth splitting into a grin.

"That's amazing," he said with a laugh. "I can see you girls have been through a lot. You should feel proud of all you've accomplished." He lowered his voice, so that only Setsuna could hear his next words. "I kind of picked up your human names somewhere along the line. Don't worry, I won't tell the others."

Knowing that he was being sincere, Setsuna smiled. "Thank you, Goku." Then, in a louder voice so the others could hear, "We have reason to believe that these androids might represent a threat to all of the dimensions in existence. If you would allow us, we would like to join you in facing this threat."

"Sure," Goku said, "we won't mind at all. We'll need all the help we can get if we're going to win."

Laughter followed his words, and all eyes turned to Vegeta. The saiyan prince had obviously found something amusing, and they needn't wait long to find out what.

"You crack me up, Kakarot. Do you obviously expect them to be much help? I'm sure they would make much better cheerleaders than fighters."

Rei's eyes widened with indignation. She turned to Vegeta, her hair whipping back as she raised her hands and began to gather her energy. She had reached the limit of her patience, and goodwill be damned, she was going to teach this arrogant man a lesson.

She was stopped when Sailor Venus moved forward, standing in her line of fire and unknowingly keeping her from retaliating.

"Who are you calling a cheerleader?" Minako snapped. "You're one to talk, mister pink shirt."

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Vegeta," Goku said, catching the two senshi's attention. "These girls are a lot stronger than you think they are."

"Oh, I'm sure they can help keep criminals off the streets," Vegeta replied with another chuckle, one that quickly disappeared along with the humorous tone in his voice. "Come now, Kakarot, how much of a fool do you take me for? These girls are as weak as the rest of the inhabitants living on this planet."

"You really think so, huh?" Goku asked, his smile growing wider. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Vegeta, but they're much stronger than that. In fact, they're actually stronger than me."

He saw Vegeta's eyes twitch slightly, the small act betraying the rest of his demeanor as he lowered his arms and narrowed his eyes. "What's that?" Clear disbelief rang in his words, but Goku could hear a hint of anger buried within them as well. "Surely you're joking, Kakarot."

"Nope," Goku said, "these girls are way stronger than me. No doubt about it."

The rest of the fighters they had recently met were staring at the senshi, the same expression of surprise seemingly etched in every face, but Setsuna's eyes remained on Vegeta as she waited for his reaction to this revelation. The saiyan prince had yet to say anything, his eyes growing large and unfocused as his mouth hung slightly open. The next moment his eyes were narrowed once more and he growled as he turned to the senshi. His eyes found Sailor Jupiter and remained on her, his dark features reflecting such hatred that the tall brunette froze where she stood, not able to tear her eyes away form him.

Rei, who was finally feeling victorious after hearing Goku's words and seeing the reaction they caused, would have loved to add further insult to injury with a final verbal assault, but the murderous look on Vegeta's face was more than enough to make her reconsider her actions.

From Goku's side, Setsuna shifted the Garnet Rod's weight in her hand, prepared to intervene should the short man decide to attack, but when Goku extended his arm to stop her she realized she needn't concern herself; once he had silently vented his frustration Vegeta seemed to regain his composure, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away without saying a word.

_That was too close_, Setsuna thought, sighing in relief as Makoto did the same. The tall brunette turned to Ami and smiled, yet her body continued to tremble as her eyes shifted warily towards Vegeta's back.

"Now that that's settled," Setsuna said, "we can get back to what we were discussing. This new threat is not to be taken lightly. I believe we will all need to learn how to work together if we are to succeed."

"Agreed," Piccolo said, turning to the other fighters. "Anyone who's thinking about sitting out should say so now. After this, there's no turning back."

Gohan did not hesitate. His face became set as he voiced his approval. "I'm in. You can count on me."

Piccolo nodded while Goku beamed at his son. Gohan returned the smile, his features brightening in contentment before another voice caught his attention.

"That's brave of you, Gohan, but it might be better for you if you stay out of this."

Gohan turned to Sailor Uranus. The taller senshi was measuring him with a calculating look. Her eyes bore into him as they had done before, yet he did not cringe or shrink away, surprising Haruka with the sudden intensity in his own gaze. He had lost the soft looks associated with youth, and where she had expected to see a child's gaze there was now a battle-hardened stare, one that she knew all too well. It was the same look that she had seen countless times on the other senshi before each battle.

"No way," the boy said, staring unflinchingly at the tall woman. "There's no way I'd do that. I could never forgive myself if I did nothing."

The resolve behind his words seemed enough, and Haruka, feeling Michiru grasp her hand, nodded to him and remained silent.

"I'm proud of you, Gohan," Goku said, stepping up to the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to have to train harder than ever before, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Maybe Piccolo will consider training with us, too," he added, turning to Piccolo and awaiting his response.

"Sure," the namek said. "It sounds like a good plan."

Gohan's eyes widened at his words. "Do you really mean it, Piccolo?" he asked, excitement building within him as he waited for the response. When Piccolo nodded he jumped to the air and gave a cheer. "This is going to be great!"

The image of the battle-hardened warrior was gone, having vanished as quickly as it had surfaced, and Gohan had gone back to being a cheerful six year-old boy. The swiftness of the change surprised Haruka, but she seemed to be the only one; the other girls seemed more amused at his childlike antics than anything else, a thought that deeply bothered her. She felt Michiru give her hand a gentle squeeze, one that she was familiar with, and decided to bite her tongue on the subject, watching silently as Gohan continued to celebrate.

The boy's other companions wasted no time in voicing their agreement. Finally, Goku turned to Vegeta, keeping a laidback tone and smiling as he addressed the other saiyan.

"What about you, Vegeta? Do you think we can work together again like on Namek?"

Vegeta scoffed. "You must have me confused with one of your chummy friends, Kakarot. Why should I join forces with you? I couldn't care less about what happens to this planet."

"Do you always have to be such a jerk?" Sailor Mars began, but stopped as a hand fell on her shoulder. Turning to Goku, she was surprised to see that he did not seem as annoyed by the saiyan prince's reply as she felt. He shook his head at her and turned to Vegeta, the same smile from earlier still adorning his features.

"That's too bad," he said, making a show of sighing in defeat. "I'm sure you would have loved to challenge those androids and prove you're stronger than them. But if you're not interested in the challenge…"

He let the words linger purposefully, Rei noticed, knowing the effect they would have on the other saiyan. Sure enough, instead of appearing insulted, Vegeta seemed amused, chuckling to himself as he spoke again.

"Well, I suppose I'll be expected to do all the fighting when the time comes, anyway." Turning to Goku, his features darkened as he scowled in the other saiyan's direction. "But make no mistake, Kakarot. We work together to fight these androids, and for that reason alone. After that, everything goes back to the way it is."

Not waiting for any type of response, the saiyan prince gathered his energy and took to the air, disappearing in the same direction as the teen had done earlier.

Back on the ground, Rei scowled and crossed her arms. "These androids will kill him too and he still refuses to help," she muttered to herself. "Just who does that guy think he is? What a creep!"

"Yeah, that's Vegeta for you," Krillin said, shaking his head. "That guy's never going to change."

"Don't mind him," Goku told the senshi. "He may be rough on the edges, but I still think there's hope for him, and I'm sure I speak for everyone else here when I say that we appreciate your help."

Setsuna moved close to him once more. "Thank you, Goku," she said. "We will be glad to assist in any way that we can."

"What will you do until then? Return to your own world?"

"Yes," she said. "We will return and discuss these recent events with the rest of our teammates, but rest assured that we will return in three years' time."

"Right," Goku said, "we'll do all that we can until then to prepare."

Setsuna nodded and motioned to the other senshi. Discussions were now over, and everything that could be done to prepare for the future had been taken care of. It was time for them to return to their own world and see if their team still stood united or if any of the girls were having second thoughts about the upcoming battle. Yet she knew it was not so; they would stand together as they had done countless times before, and now there were others who would join them in battle. After a month of doubt and fear, of no longer being sure that a future involving Crystal Tokyo was a certainty, nor that any of them would live through the battles that were to come, Setsuna allowed herself to smile genuinely and without guilt. Things were finally starting to look up for them, and the future no longer seemed as lost as before.

She turned to the senshi, her gaze moving from one girl to another until finally resting over Usagi. Like the others, she had begun to move closer to Setsuna when she suddenly stopped. Her gaze remained locked in the distance, her clear-blue eyes unblinking even under the strong rays of sunlight that fell over the terrain. For a moment she seemed to stare beyond the horizon before her eyes glossed over, the blonde-haired girl exhaling deeply as they slowly began to close. She swayed on the spot, flaying back and forth in a slow rhythm until her legs seemed to give and she fell face-first over the flat terrain, colliding against the ground and moving no more.

The future ahead remained as uncertain as ever.

* * *

A/N: As many of you readers have noticed, updates are few and far from each other. No matter which fandom I'm working on, story updates seem to take a month or more in between. Even so, this does not mean that I'm not working on future chapters of existing stories. My time in real life to dedicate to writing is simply very limited, and many times I find that the ten to twenty minutes of my lunch break that I dedicate to these stories is the only time I have to work on them.

That being said, the next chapter is already on the works, and as always I hope to have it out as soon as I can. Thanks to all the readers for taking the time to give this story a chance. I hope you're enjoying it and look forward to the next update!


	11. Catalyst

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators._

* * *

Usagi's sudden toppling over caught everyone off guard, but no time was wasted. No sooner had she crashed against the ground that Ami and Rei were at her side, the others moving closer to them and standing at attention. The teamwork of these first two senshi was quick to overpower any form of confusion as they immediately sought action, huddling around the fallen girl and turning her over. Usagi's eyes remained closed, her unresponsive body seeming at peace and contrasting the panic the rest of her friends were feeling.

"What happened?" Rei asked, voicing the concern that was on every girl's mind. Her eyes desperately sought the others around her, quickly turning from one face to another. "Did anyone see anything?"

Silence was the only reply she received. Ami had long since activated her visor and was rapidly tapping away into the palm-sized computer on her hand. Setsuna kept her attention focused on the blue-haired girl, knowing that any answers they might receive were sure to come from her.

Ami's eyes darted from one side to another as she struggled to keep up with the information flashing through her visor. A moment later she gasped as her body lurched forward, and by the look in her eyes Setsuna knew the news would be bad.

"Her energy is draining away," Ami said. "She's already lost so much. If we don't do something soon, Usagi is going to die!"

The invisible strain over the group intensified as each senshi drew back at the words. Setsuna turned from Ami to Usagi, only then seeming to notice just how pale their leader had become in such a short amount of time. She could sense the girl's energy quickly fading away, as though an intangible force were sapping at her very existence.

_No,_ she thought, feeling as though she were pleading with fate itself. _Not like this. Not Usagi._

But her prayers would go unanswered and Usagi remained motionless, seeming to grow paler with each passing second. Quickly composing herself, Setsuna closed her eyes and brought the tip of the Garnet Rod to rest against her temple. There was a reason behind this, she was sure of it. Now it was only a matter of reaching the answer before it was too late.

She focused on emptying her mind, straining to push away the turmoil of the situation along with the numbing sensation that was beginning to grow within her, but to no avail. The void that had once been the future was all that came to her, its bleakness seeming to taunt her resolve. For far too long she had been a master of time, able to witness even the most minuscule detail surrounding the threads of fate. Now, when that guidance was needed more than ever before, the answers seemed to escape her grasp, hovering just close enough that she could sense them but too far out of her reach.

The future had changed far more than what Setsuna had initially thought. She could no longer see any possible outcomes ahead, and she knew the reason for it was due to an unforeseen event affecting the flow of time. Something had altered the timeline so drastically that it was practically forcing the future to be rewritten. The premature death of the future queen of Crystal Tokyo, she realized with growing trepidation, would certainly qualify as such an event.

Not seeing any other possible answers, and not knowing what else to do, Setsuna felt herself succumb to panic, the world around her seeming to come to a crawling halt as her resolve vanished on the spot. The irony of the situation did not escape her, but she could find no mirth within the private joke as she stood there, processing the horrible truth that had just fallen over her. She could easily follow the movement of each senshi as they struggled to find a way to help Usagi, but she could not find the strength to inform them that any attempts would prove futile.

Usagi, it seemed, was destined to die. Fate itself had preordained it. Only a miracle would be able to save her now.

Goku, having heard Ami's words, turned to Piccolo. His expression was even and controlled, and his eyes flashed with determination as he spoke.

"Do you think a Senzu Bean could help?"

"It might," Piccolo said. Seeing Goku's features momentarily shift at his words, he frowned. "But I don't have any with me."

"Korin might have some, Goku," Krillin said. "He should know by now to always have a few ready in case we need them."

"That still won't do us any good, Krillin," Piccolo said. "The lookout is too far away. No mater how fast we fly Sailor Moon will probably be dead before we even get there."

"Don't say that!" Rei snapped from where she knelt at Usagi's side, glaring in Piccolo's direction. "She's not going to die!" Her features softened as her eyes strayed back to the blonde-haired girl lying next to her. "She can't…"

Piccolo would have liked to agree with Sailor Mars, but all the wishing in the world would not change anything. Sailor Moon was growing weaker with each passing second, and he could sense her life force slipping as it slowly faded away. Unless some drastic change took place in the next few minutes the girl would certainly meet her end, and not even the dragon balls would be able to bring her back from what appeared to be a natural death.

"You're right. She's not going to die."

All eyes were immediately on Goku, who stood facing the senshi, his features resolute. Ami, who had ignored all previous conversation, tore her eyes away from her computer and turned to the saiyan, surprise reflected on her face.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked Goku. Seeing him nod, Ami found herself daring to hope.

Goku moved closer to Usagi, the other senshi stepping back so that he could kneel by her side. Rei scooted away and kept her eyes on Goku, watching solemnly as he pushed back the shorter bangs from Usagi's temple before closing his eyes and stretching both hands over her limp form.

Silence hung in the air, no one daring to move or speak as they kept their eyes on Goku. Time slowly passed as they waited for whatever plan he had to take effect, but Goku remained frozen, with no signs of effort on his part save for the hands that continued to linger over Usagi's still body, which continued to grow paler with each passing moment.

After waiting what felt like an eternity without seeing any results, Rei rose to her feet, both hands cuffed to her side.

"If you're going to do something to save her then do it!" she yelled at Goku, causing some of the other senshi behind her to jump in alarm. The saiyan warrior did not reply, nor did he give any inkling that he had heard her words. Desperation getting the best of her, Rei lunged at the unmoving saiyan, ready to push him away from Usagi, but one of the other senshi reached her before she could get far, pinning their arms under hers and raising her feet off the ground. Unable to move, the dark-haired girl settled for thrashing in place, her frustrated cries ringing over the vast terrain as time continued to run out.

"You have to calm down, Sailor Mars," she heard Makoto whisper in her ear, her voice gruff with the effort of keeping the girl pinned. "This isn't helping."

"Neither is he!" Rei screamed back. Her words seemed to get through to Goku, who lowered his hands and turned to Rei. Had she not been feeling so angry she might have smirked at finally getting a reaction out of him, but she settled for easing onto Makoto's hold as the saiyan continued to stare at her.

She expected him to be angry, had almost wished for it. At least then she could pour out her frustration on being helpless to save Usagi onto someone else without feeling guilty about it. But as he looked at her she could see sympathy reflected in his eyes. There was no anger, only an understanding to her pain that took the fight out of Rei, and she barely felt Makoto let her go as Goku spoke.

"I know it's not easy, but I need you to please be quiet. I promise that I'll do my best to help her."

Rei found herself nodding silently, and Goku turned to Usagi once more. With his ki finally gathered, he pushed a great amount of energy outward, guiding the source from the tip of his palm into the unmoving body before him. Usagi was bathed in a golden light, its luminance causing the others to shield their eyes until its intensity diminished and the wave of energy disappeared.

The work done, Goku felt his body slump forward. The sudden release of energy had left him feeling lightheaded, but he quickly shook the effect off and focused on Usagi's energy reading. He had probably given her more energy than necessary, but it was better not to take any unnecessary risks. Feeling her energy rise again was enough for him to know that the threat had been momentarily taken care of. Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet and turned to Ami.

"That should be enough until we can get a Senzu Bean."

Wondering just what a Senzu Bean was, Ami turned back to her scanner. Whatever Goku had done, it seemed to have helped enormously. Usagi's vital signs had shot up greatly, and for a moment Ami was tempted to believe that they would stabilize, but no sooner had the thought crossed her mind that their team leader's readings began to plummet once more.

"It's not enough. Her energy is dropping again."

Haruka cursed under her breath. "What is going on here? This has never happened before."

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Sailor Venus asked.

Makoto turned to Goku. Though he did not seem fatigued she could tell that giving Usagi his own energy had taken great effort. Small beads of sweat had begun to form on his upper brow and his breathing had picked up ever so slightly. Even without these telltale signs she could sense that his energy had taken a sudden drop. It made her wonder just how much energy he had passed on to Usagi and how much he could afford to pass on again, but her concern for her fallen friend far outweighed that of his further becoming winded.

"Please, Goku," she said, moving past Sailor Mars and gazing deeply into the saiyan's eyes, "try helping Sailor Moon again."

"It won't make a difference," Tien said. "Goku gave her more energy than what should be needed, and already she's lost over half of it. She needs a Senzu Bean, Goku."

"Yes, but the only way to get one is by flying to the lookout," Piccolo said. "We'll never make it there in time."

"Then I'll just have to go get it."

Piccolo turned to Goku, surprised at his confidence. The last time he had seen Goku in action, the saiyan clearly outclassed any of them, but it was still not enough for what needed to be done.

"You're fast, Goku, but not that fast."

Goku, however, merely gave Piccolo a cryptic smile. "Trust me. I'll be back in no time."

The coolness in the tone caught Piccolo off guard. He was fully aware of how strong Goku had become in his absence, but even his super saiyan transformation would not lend him enough power to carry out this task. Still, he was curious to see what made Goku believe with such certainty that he would be able to succeed. Had his skills really improved to such an extent since they last saw him on Namek? It was possible, Piccolo knew, but it seemed very unlikely.

All eyes were once again on Goku, who moved away from Piccolo and turned to the senshi.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine," he said to the other group, then closed his eyes and raised a hand to his face, letting two fingers rest on his forehead. The others watched him with bated breath, waiting for his next move, yet once again it seemed as though whatever Goku had planned was taking time, something they could not afford to waste.

Ami turned from the unmoving saiyan to the computer in her hand and back again, feeling her hope fade away and panic set in once more as she watched Goku stand there, his features solemn as he stared off into space. Already her computer was flashing warnings and beeping in rapid succession. Usagi had reached a critical level. Time was almost up. Unless some miracle happened within the next minute they were going to lose her.

Closing her eyes, Ami felt the world around her vanish. All of her knowledge and studies in medicine had been useless in the end. She had failed Usagi, and now her best friend was about to leave them for good.

She felt a hand reach for her, its strong grip clasping around her wrist and giving it a firm tug. Composing herself, Ami opened her eyes to find Usagi staring up at her, a concerned expression on her face.

"Ami, are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Ami openly gaped at the blonde-haired girl, struggling to formulate a response. Was this real, or had she somehow cracked under the pressure, unable to cope with reality, and now her mind was showing her what she wanted to see?

The grip on her hand intensified, causing Ami to wince. No, this was real. This was definitely real.

Rei, who had turned at the sound of Usagi's voice, stared in disbelief before reaching for the girl and embracing her.

"Usagi!"

The cry caused everyone to turn from Goku to the dark-haired girl and then to Usagi. Minako and Makoto quickly joined the other two senshi next to their leader, each one embracing Usagi from different sides. The blonde-haired girl remained confused, but smiled against herself as her friends continued to voice their concern. Haruka and Michiru chose to keep their distance but both looked on with a mingled sense of relief.

"You gave us quite a scare, kiddo," Haruka said, smiling at Usagi.

"Why?" the blonde-haired girl asked. "What happened?"

"You passed out, dummy," Rei screamed at her, grabbing Usagi by the arms and shaking her lightly. A part of her realized that she should just be grateful that Usagi seemed to be okay, but she ignored it as she continued to glare in the blonde's direction. "Your energy was draining and you almost died. Don't ever scare us like that again!"

"Calm down, Rei," Makoto said. "Let's just give her some room and be thankful that she's fine." Turning to Ami, she asked, "She _is_ fine, isn't she?"

Ami had wasted no time in checking Usagi's reading on her computer. Now she turned to the other girls and nodded. "Everything seems okay. Vital signs are stable again." Turning back to Usagi she asked, "What happened, Usagi?"

"I don't know," Usagi said, her brow creasing in worry. "I felt fine just a minute ago. The next thing I knew I was on the ground with all of you staring at me."

The sailor senshi looked at one another, at a loss for words. This was the second time now that Usagi had come close to meeting a disastrous end, and they had all been unable to prevent either scenario from playing out. To Rei it seemed too much like a bad omen. The fighting had not even begun and yet she had almost lost a dear friend twice on the same day. What, then, could they expect once the time came for them to risk everything they had to secure the safety of every world in existence?

She reached for Usagi, taking hold of one of her hands and squeezing it. On the girl's other side Ami did the same. They remained huddled together, no words needed from the two inner senshi to convey their silent support for their friend. Usagi turned from one girl to the other, smiling earnestly in spite of the dangers that had just passed.

Her expression quickly changed, however, and her features became somber once more.

"Why do all these strange things keep happening only to me?"

The rest of the senshi turned to Setsuna. The senshi of time had remained silent, her features blank as she contemplated their leader's words. What answer could she give that would assuage her future queen? She herself did not know for sure. Usagi seemed on the verge of death, yet now it seemed as though nothing had ever happened. Was this merely a backlash from the experience she had undergone within the Gates of Time, or was there something more hidden within the ordeal?

One way or another, she would be making it a priority to discover the answer for herself.

Knowing that the others were awaiting her response, she shifted her grip on the Garnet Rod, giving the impression that she was carefully weighing her words. Finally, she said, "This does not seem to be a mere random occurrence, nor do I believe it to be a coincidence. The trials you endured within the Gates of Time must have had a greater effect than we realized, but now is not the time to address this issue. Once we have returned to our world we will discuss this matter. Until then, let us count our good fortune as a blessing."

No one questioned her judgment. Usagi nodded in agreement and sighed inwardly in relief. As long as Setsuna remained calm about the issue she truly believed she had nothing to worry about. The older senshi might seem cold and distant at times, but Usagi still trusted her with her life. She trusted all of the senshi, and knew that they all felt the same way about her.

Piccolo watched the group in silence. How close had they come to losing Sailor Moon? He was not sure, but he knew enough to tell that the girl had been knocking on death's door. Fate, it seemed, had been on their side this day.

"It looks like she's fine," he told Goku, keeping his gaze on Sailor Moon. "Her energy reading isn't dropping anymore. I've never seen such a drastic reduction of energy occur so sporadically before. What do you make of it, Goku?"

Not hearing a response, he tore his eyes away from Sailor Moon and turned to the saiyan. Goku, however, was no longer standing next to him. Turning around, Piccolo was surprised to find that he was nowhere to be seen.

Krillin had also noticed the saiyan's absence. "Hey, where's Goku?" he asked, catching the attention of the other fighters around him.

"He's right here, Krillin," Yamcha said, turning to his side. His eyes widened as he stared at the empty space. "That's weird. He was just here a second ago. Where did he go?"

"Right here."

Yamcha jumped back, whirling around to find Goku standing behind him. Wasting no time, Goku hurried past his awestruck friend and knelt next to Usagi, holding what appeared to be a small pebble between his thumb and index finger and raising it close to her face. Only then did he seem to notice that she was now wide awake and staring at him with just as much surprise as he felt.

"Your energy feels normal again," Goku said, more to himself than to those around him. "Did someone give you more energy?"

"No, her energy reading stabilized on its own," Ami said, closing the palm-sized computer and storing it away. "One moment it was nearly gone and the next it was back to normal. We don't even know how it happened."

"That's great," Goku said as he turned from Ami to Usagi, grinning from ear to ear. "Your power feels just as strong as it did earlier, but try to take it easy for now, okay? We don't want you losing any more energy."

Usagi, feeling dumbfounded, merely nodded in silence, and Goku handed the Senzu Bean to Ami.

"Keep it just in case," he told Sailor Mercury. "You never know just when you might need a Senzu Bean."

Ami stared at the small green object in her hand. It seemed like an ordinary uncooked bean, its rough texture and slight weight only serving to annoy her. How was such a small thing supposed to help Usagi? From the way the others had spoken about it, this Senzu Bean was going to save Usagi from losing all her energy. Was such a thing even possible?

Deciding not to further pursue the train of thought, Ami simply thanked Goku and fastened the Senzu Bean to the ribbon firmly tied around her waist. She would make a mental note of studying it once they returned to their world.

Nodding to both senshi, Goku stood up and turned around. Only then did he realize that all of his teammates were staring unblinkingly at him. Frowning, he said, "Why are all you guys looking at me like that?"

Tien turned to Chiaotzu. "Did you see him move?"

"Not at all," Chiaotzu said. "It's like he just vanished and reappeared. I didn't even sense him leaving or coming back."

"A Senzu Bean," Yamcha mumbled, gaping at Goku. "But that's impossible. He was just here a second ago. We all saw him. There's no way anyone could have made it to Korin's Tower that fast."

"Yet he did," Piccolo said, and as shocked as he was to see that Goku had indeed managed the impossible, his voice had yet to lose its cool demeanor. "Maybe it would help if you told us how you did it, Goku."

Goku smiled apologetically, but even then his eyes seemed to flicker with mischief. "Sorry, I guess with all the commotion I forgot to tell you guys. It's a new technique I learned while I was on the planet Yardrat."

With that he began to retell of his time spent on the alien planet and the ability he had acquired while recovering from his battle against Frieza. At first Setsuna listened with rapt attention, seeming as amazed as the other senshi at his apparent mastery of spatial movement. But as Goku continued to explain his newfound technique she found herself tuning out his words. She was more than familiar with the concept of instantaneous movement, and as amazing as it seemed that he had achieved such a skill her thoughts were far too preoccupied with other matters. Usagi's current predicament weighed heavily on her mind, but now that the threat had ostensibly passed she found her thoughts returning to the initial concern. The cryptic warning brought back from a distant time and the implication that lay within it returned to her, and with it, the fact that the future had become an unraveled mess.

Their short stay on ths world had seemed to change everything, and not even the future that had once been a sure thing seemed like a possibility anymore. So innumerable were the branching paths representing their fate that Setsuna did not know where to begin to look for answers. It was as though the sheer magnitude of the daunting task that lay before them was clouding their fate. The journey had definitely provided her with much to consider, but even so, the priority had not changed. This new threat would be faced, and they would battle together as they had done many times before. Now was not the time to dwell on the prospect of an abating future. Instead, she would do everything to ensure that the utopian kingdom came to pass.

If such a path ended up requiring a sacrifice on her part, then so be it. Nothing would keep her from fulfilling her duties as the Guardian of Time.

Seeing Ami and Rei help Usagi to her feet broke her out of her reverie. By then Goku had already finished his explanation and had begun to address his son and Piccolo. Motioning to Usagi, she waited for the blonde-haired girl to move closer before saying, "It is time to take our leave. Do you feel prepared to undertake the journey back?"

"Yes," Usagi replied after a moment of consideration. "I don't feel any weaker than before. I think I'll be okay."

Setsuna nodded before turning her attention back to Goku. Moving past Usagi, she drew closer to him and Piccolo.

"I regret our parting must be like this, Goku," she said, "but it is time to take our leave. Until we are once more required to stand united, may you all go with the blessings of the stars."

"Thank you," Goku said. "You all take care, too. Know that we'll be with you in spirit wherever you go."

The others behind Goku nodded to emphasize his words, and Setsuna felt a smile cross her lips. These fighters seemed like such a mess of a group, each one vastly different from the other, but their fire-forged friendship was as strong as the senshi's own. From the normal fighters, who had overcome the limits of their human bodies, to the young boy, who stood grinning from ear to ear, clearly far too young for the heavy burden that had been placed over him, and Piccolo, whose reserved and calculating demeanor lay betrayed by the way he silently watched over the others. They had all come together to form a family of their own, and at the very center of it was Goku, the link that united them and kept them all together. He returned her smile, seeming so much like the small boy she had seen so long ago, now all grown up but still pure at heart.

"I believe the word the other girls would use is 'corny', but your sentiments are greatly appreciated, Goku," Setsuna said, bowing once more. "Until we all meet again."

Moving back to Usagi, Setsuna motioned to the other senshi. A strong sense of déjà vu struck her as she waited for them to move closer, and she found herself unwilling to stray from Usagi's side. The blonde-haired girl did indeed seem fine, and yet Setsuna could not shake off the unnerving sensation that the danger which had almost claimed her life would return, resurfacing when they least expected it to. No one was safe. That much had been made clear to her during their brief stay on this world. Until the new threat was taken care of, anything was fair game.

Ignoring the worst of the fears that raced through her mind, Setsuna focused on mentally preparing herself for the journey back to their world. She tightened her grip on the Garnet Rod as the others quickly drew close to her.

Only one girl delayed in joining her friends.

Rei stood before Goku, her face downcast as she called out to him. Feeling his attention fall on her made Rei freeze up, and she could feel her face begin to burn and her chest plunge as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say.

"About earlier," she heard herself say, "I shouldn't have…I should have been more patient. I just…"

The hand that fell over her shoulder caused her to stop. Looking up, she did not see the anger she had expected for a second time, but a genuine smile that held no ill will. It was enough for her to realize that, even if she had not attempted to swallow her pride and apologize, Goku had long since forgiven her.

"You really care about her a lot."

Momentarily wondering just who Goku was speaking of, Rei followed his gaze to where Usagi stood surrounded by the other senshi. Turning back to him she smiled, nodding slowly in confirmation.

"Keep her safe," Goku said.

"I will," Rei replied, and then moved away from the saiyan and his companions towards where the other senshi were waiting for her. Standing next to Usagi, she reached down, clasped the other girl's hand, and gave it a faint squeeze. Usagi smiled, her already radiant features seeming to glow even brighter. The gesture might have seemed trivial, but it was enough to convey everything that could have been put into words and more.

Turning back to Setsuna, Usagi said, "Let's go home."

Nodding to her, Setsuna closed her eyes and raised the Garnet Rod to her face, once again letting the crimson orb rest against her temple. She barely registered as both teams said their farewells, delving deeper into her mind and concentrating on opening the dimensional gate that would take them back to their world. A few seconds later she felt the gate open for them and begin to pull her away from that world, but not before a lone voice called out to her.

"Thank you, Sailor Pluto."

Smiling to herself, she sent out a final message that she knew the small boy would receive.

_Stay safe, young warrior._

Focusing on the journey ahead, Setsuna felt her consciousness fade away as they stepped through the Gates of Time.

. . .

Goku turned to his remaining friends. All eyes were on him, a look of grim determination on every face.

"I guess it's time then," he said, motioning for Piccolo and Gohan, who stepped next to him. Looking back at the others, he asked, "Do you guys want to join us, too?"

"We'll pass, but thanks, Goku," Tien said, pointing towards himself and Chiaotzu. "We'll train together and do all that we can to prepare."

"I was thinking about asking Master Roshi to help me train," Krillin said. "If that doesn't work, then I'll stay with him and train by myself."

"Same here," Yamcha said. "Train by myself, I mean. To be honest, I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you guys."

Goku nodded. That meant that they would be going their separate ways until it was time to face the androids. Three years. It almost seemed as though they were merely looking forward to the next World Martial Arts Tournament. The thought brought a smile to his face. He thought it odd that he felt so relaxed in spite of the dark future that lay before them, but he was confident in his friends and what they could do. What was more, they were not alone. They had new friends who would stand with them and face this threat.

"You guys take care," Goku said, raising a hand in farewell. Nodding to Gohan and Piccolo, he took to the air and felt them do the same. The others below quickly shrank away as they soared through the sky, flying towards a lone house in the mountains that both father and son called home.

* * *

A/N: After about five months, the next chapter is here. Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing or for letting me know that you're waiting for the next chapter to be posted. Without an audience there's no point in writing a story, so thank you all. I hope you look forward to the next update!


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